NYADA Freshman Year
by AlexaCardew
Summary: Welcome to NYADA - New York's Premier Performing Arts High School. Kurt's finally safe from bullies but does that mean the end of drama in his life? Boarding School!Klaine, Meddling Sebastian & Chandler and the trio infernal - Quinn, Santana & Brittany. Guest appearances by the Warblers and the rest of New Directions. Rating might go up
1. Prologue

**AN: **Welcome to my new story. Unfortunately I won't be able to update this one every day, but I'm trying to make it every Tuesday. The first chapter is a little on the shorter side, but subsequent chapters will be longer again. I hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Glee. If I did it would be the Kurt Hummel Show

* * *

**Prologue:**

"NYADA – New York's Premier Performing Arts High School", the pamphlet Burt's sister handed him stated. Burt looked through it yet again and sighed before he looked at Kate.

"I'm really not sure about this. It's awfully far away and Finn and Kurt are finally starting to get along."

"Burt," his sister put her hand over his, "if it's already this bad in Junior High, do you really want to send him to High School here?"

Burt knew Kate was right. His son had been bullied in school for years now, but whenever he complained to the principle about it, nothing happened.

"Besides," Kate continued, "Kurt's music teacher said he's incredibly talented and he would gladly write him a recommendation for NYADA. The people running the Columbus Summer Arts Academy have been saying the same things. If you get him out of Ohio now, you won't have to worry about him getting hurt in school and he'd already have an advantage when he applies to Drama College after High School," Kate listed the pros again.

It wasn't the first time, Kate suggested sending Kurt to a school other than McKinley next fall, but it was the first time she brought up a school out of state.

"What makes you believe I could afford this NYADA? You know how we looked into Dalton Academy, but couldn't afford it in the end?" Kate nodded, but her smile didn't falter.

"But NYADA gives out scholarships for students who couldn't afford to attend otherwise. All we would have to pay is room and board if he gets in."

"But what if he doesn't? I can't send him to Carmel either, because that's all the way up in Akron."

Burt put his head in his hands. His son hadn't even officially come out yet and was already being tormented at school. As much as it pained him say it, his sister was right. Kurt would be much saver in New York than he would be in Ohio.

"Let me at least send them Kurt's tapes. You don't have to decide anything right now. School won't be out for another two months," Kate reminded him.

Burt finally agreed and signed where Kate wanted him to before handing her twenty dollars for the application fee. He didn't want his not even fifteen-year-old son to live in a boarding school in New York, but he was running out of options.

Later that night, Burt went online and looked up NYADA's home page. The school, situated on Amsterdam Ave between W 64th and W 65th street, seemed to be in a save neighborhood and was surrounded by other arts institutes. He knew it would be a dream come true for a kid like Kurt.

The web page explained that the school housed two dormitories - one for boys and one for girls and were governed by older students who acted as dorm monitors.

Burt wasn't really afraid to leave his kid unsupervised. Kurt had only been eight when his mother had died, and had mostly raised himself afterward because Burt had to take care of the garage.

What Burt was really interested in was the mission statement that boasted the school's achievements in music, dance and performing arts as well as their strict anti-bullying policy. If he was sending Kurt to a school all the way in New York, he had to make sure his son would be save there.

He klicked through some more page, looked up the different programs the school offered and shut the computer off with a sigh once he was done.

Kate was right, he didn't need to make a decision right now. What was important at the moment, was getting Kurt through the last two months of Junior High unscathed.

* * *

Five weeks later, Burt picked up the mail and quickly brought it inside when he saw it contained a letter from NYADA. He and Kurt had talked about the school after Kate had applied for him, and while Kurt wanted nothing more than go there, Burt still wasn't sure.

He and Carole would get married in September and he didn't want to send his son away, just as the Hummels and Hudsons were becoming a real family.

Fate had other plans this after afternoon though, because no more than five minutes after he opened the letter that invited Kurt to study at NYADA, Burt received the phone call, he had always been afraid to receive one day.

He rushed to the hospital as soon as his hands stopped shaking, Kurt's letter buried deep in his pocket. One of Kurt's only friends, Mercedes, was sitting in the waiting room, looking pale with red-rimmed eyes.

"Mercedes, what happened?" The girl looked up at him confusedly for a few seconds before she seemed to recognize him.

"It was Karofsky," she finally whispered. Burt furrowed his brows. Wasn't that kid in High School already. He must have said that out lout, because Mercedes nodded.

"He had to repeat 8th grade but he's a freshman now. I saw him and Kurt argue about something and than he pushed Kurt hard against a dumpster and Kurt hit his head and there was a lot of blood and Karofsky ran away."

The poor girl was rambling now and Burt wished Carole were here. She would know how to calm Mercedes down. Fortunately, he was saved by Mercedes' parents rushing into the waiting room. After quick introductions, a nurse finally approached to tell him he could see Kurt now.

His son was sitting up in bed, looking even paler than usual. His head was wrapped in bandages and a young looking doctor was standing next to the bed, looking over Kurt's CAT scans.

Ignoring the doctor for now, Burt pulled Kurt into his arms, careful of his injury. He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt Kurt's hospital gown get wet against his cheek.

Burt discreetly wiped the tears from his eyes after he let go of Kurt and took a few deep breaths. It had to be done. He never wanted to get a call from the hospital again, especially not one about Kurt being admitted with a head injury.

He pulled Kurt's NYADA letter out of his pocket and handed it to his son.

"Congrats, kiddo. You're moving to New York.

* * *

**Up Next: **Kurt's first day at NYADA.

Thanks for reading :)


	2. 1x01: Fresh Meat

**AN: **As promised - a long chapter. See you next Tuesday.

Just as a heads up. My Chandler is nothing like the Chandler on Glee, but I didn't want to create too many OCs when I had plenty of Glee characters to choose from and I needed another "villain".

* * *

**1x01: Fresh Meat**

Kurt was standing in front of a tall, old looking building on Manhattan's Upper West Side. It screamed old money, even though he was aware that twenty-five percent of NYADA's students received a scholarship just like him.

The last few days had gone by in a blur. His father had accompanied him to New York where they had met up with his aunt Kate, who was living in New Jersey and had promised his father to check in on him from time to time. It was the first time Kurt and his father had come to the city and his aunt had shown them around the tourist attractions and they had even seem a real life Broadway show. Kurt couldn't really believe yet, that this city was going to be his home for at least the next four year.

Saying goodbye to Mercedes and his family had been tearful, especially after his dad and Carole had move up their wedding so Kurt could attend it. Finn had sung a song for him, and had publicly apologized for not protecting Kurt from the bullies when they were still in the same school.

Finn was starting his junior year at McKinley this fall, but he had been his chief tormentor Karofsky's classmate until the bully had to repeat 8th grade. When Karofsky had pushed Kurt around, Finn had looked the other way, because he thought it would hurt his popularity if he stuck up for Kurt, and so when Carole and his dad had first started dating when Kurt was in 7th grade, things at home had been tense for a while, especially when Carole and Finn had moved in and Finn and Kurt had to share a room.

Finn had complained about it, but his dad had defended him and had made Finn apologize. It was one of the reason's Kurt was afraid to come out to his dad, because who knew if his dad wouldn't suddenly side with Finn, if he knew about Kurt, or even worse, the crush he had on Finn in 6th grade.

After Karofsky had pushed him against the dumpster, after an argument about an incident Kurt desperately wanted to forget, his father had taken him out of school and he only had to go back to take his finals before school was out in May.

He spent most of his summer helping out in his dad's shop or lounging around the house with Mercedes, watching reruns of Project Runway. He knew Mercedes was sad he was moving away but she still tried to cheer him up by telling him about all the fabulous clothes he would be able to buy in New York.

Finn friends from the football team, Puck, Mike, Matt and Sam spent a lot of time at their house as well and surprisingly even Puck had been nice to him. The only person he couldn't stand being around – they had been frenemies since elementary school when they fought over a role in the school play – was Rachel.

Rachel had finally managed to get together with Finn before the summer and when she had heard about his transfer to the prestigious New York based performing arts high school, she had immediately begged her fathers to let her transfer as well, but the school had told her they usually didn't accept older transfers - and Rachel would be a sophomore come fall - from non-performing arts school unless the specific circumstances surrounding the student in question warranted it. Rachel had been angry, because the school wouldn't see how special she was and Kurt had fled the living room to let Finn deal with his crazy girlfriend.

Finn and Carole had said goodbye at the airport in Columbus, because school at McKinley had already started and Carole hadn't felt comfortable leaving her sixteen-year-old son behind left to his own devices. The party that got out of hand this summer apparently was proof enough that Finn shouldn't be left in charge of an empty house.

Kurt had sworn up and down that he hadn't been involved in the planning and hadn't been aware the punch was spiked, when his dad found him hung-over the next day, and Kurt new it was a testament to his developing acting skills that his father had immediately bought it. To make it up to Finn, who had to deal with the brunt of his dad's fury, Kurt had offered to clean the whole house while his parents went out for lunch.

He hadn't liked Finn that much at first, but he had to admit his giant stepbrother was growing on him and he would definitely miss him. He had promised to come home for Thanksgiving, but as his father had lamented, that was still months away.

Kurt's thoughts about the past summer were interrupted by a tall woman who must have approached them while he reminisced. She introduced herself as Ms. Carson, responsible for all incoming students.

Before he knew it, it was time to say goodbye to aunt Kate and his dad. After many tearful hugs and promises to call at least every second day, Ms. Carson helped Kurt wheel one of his three suitcases to the dorms, which were left of the main building. He took one last look at his dad's retreating figure before he squared his shoulders and straightened up his posture. Kurt Hummel did not get homesick.

* * *

Kurt had followed Ms. Carson inside a large building that housed both the girls' and the boys' dorm. The left wing would be Kurt's future home, Ms. Carson continued explaining as she led him down a corridor to room 117. Freshmen were on the first floor, sophomore on the second floor and so on. The same applied to the girls' dormitories, which were in the right wing.

Boys and girls had shared common rooms, but were not allowed into the boys' rooms after eight o'clock and vice versa. The door had to stay partially open to prevent couples from doing things they wouldn't feel comfortable doing in public.

Kurt just nodded along as Ms. Carson explained the rules. He had no desire to do anything with a girl in a room, but that was something Ms. Carson didn't need to know. He knew the school had a zero tolerance bullying policy, but he wasn't sure how well that would be enforced in the dorms. He just hoped his roommate wasn't homophobic in case Kurt ever found the courage to come out.

Before he knew it, Ms. Carson was knocking on door 117 and a boy, not much taller than Kurt, with a bad dye job opened the door. Ms. Carson gave him a card with her number on it in case he had more questions and then he was alone with the stranger who was studying him rather curiously before grabbing one of Kurt's suitcases and dragged it inside.

"Man, what did you pack? Stones?" Kurt huffed and took his suitcase back before dropping it in front of a closet that looked barely big enough to house all his clothes.

"That's my shoe collection. We can't all run around with ratty sneakers like you." To his surprise the other boy laughed. "You sound exactly like my girlfriend, and my friend Nick, come to think of it. I'm Jeff by the way."

The boy, Jeff, held out his hand and when Kurt didn't react immediately he grabbed Kurt's hand, put it in his own and shook it. Kurt was surprised that the other boy had touched him willing, and gave him a small smile. "Kurt."

"Where do you come from?" Jeff asked him as he started pinning his favorite Broadway posters to the wall. "You don't sound like a New Yorker." Great, Jeff probably thought he was a country boy from Hicksville. "Ohio. You?"

"Chicago, my parents actually wanted to send me to a private school in Ohio, Dalton Academy, because my dad's an alumni, but luckily I could convince them to let me come here. I dance," Jeff added after a moment.

Kurt looked up in surprise. "My dad wanted to send me to Dalton too, but it was a little pricy," he mumbled embarrassed. Hopefully, Jeff wouldn't think any less of him because his family wasn't wealthy.

"That's cool man, my friend Nick is on a scholarship too." Kurt smiled in relief. This school was supposed to be a fresh start for him and he didn't need to trade insults about his rumored sexuality with insults about his less privileged upbringing. Maybe he should stop watching Gossip Girl. It was only his first day and he was already acting paranoid.

Jeff picked up a magazine while Kurt finished unpacking and decorated his half of the room. Much too soon he was done, trying to come up with a topic to talk about.

"You said your girlfriend likes shoes too. How long have you been together?" Finn always liked talking about his current girlfriend so this seemed like a safe topic.

"About 6 months. We went to school together in Chicago and luckily her parents sent her to an all-girls' school on the Upper East Side, so we can still see each other." "That's great." "Yeah, so what about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Kurt froze. Was now the point where Jeff would tell him he was disgusting? And was he really that obvious? "I'm not gay", he forced out. Jeff gave him a sympathetic look. "You know, it wouldn't matter to me if you are. Nick says there are plenty of gay guys in this school."

Kurt remained frozen in his spot. Was Jeff telling the truth or was he just trying to get Kurt to admit it before he showed his true colors?

Suddenly Jeff jumped up from the bed and Kurt took a step back, but instead of hitting him Jeff opened his mouth to sing.

_If you were gay,_

_That'd be okay._

_I mean 'cause, hey,_

_I'd like you anyway_

Oh dear God, was Jeff singing Avenue Q to him? He took another step back, but his new roommate just continued.

_Because you see,_

_If it were me,_

_I would feel free_

_To say that I was gay_

_(But I'm not gay)_

"Jeff, please! I am trying to decorate."

_If you were queer_

"Jeff!"

_I'd still be here,_

"Jeff, I'm trying to uhm, hang this poster."

_Year after year_

"Jeff!"

_Because you're dear to me_

"Argh!"

_And I know that you_

_Would accept me too,_

_If I told you today_

_"Hey! Guess what,_

_I'm gay!"_

_(But I'm not gay.)_

_I'm happy,_

_Just being with you_

"High Button Shoes, Bow ties…"

_So what should it_

_Matter to me_

_What you do in bed_

_With guys_.

"Jeff, that's GROSS!"

"No it's not!"

If you were gay

I'd shout hooray!

"I am not listening!"

_And here I'd stay_

"La la la la la!"

_But I wouldn't get in your way._

"Aaaah!"

_You can count on me_

_To always be_

_Beside you every day_

_To tell you it's okay_

_You were just born that way_

_And, as they say,_

_It's in you're DNA_

_You're gay_

"But I'm not gay!"

_If you were gay._

"Argh!"

Kurt and Jeff both collapsed laughing on their respective beds. Somewhere along the line Kurt couldn't help it but take over Rod's lines and adapt them to their current situation.

Jeff sat up again and gave Kurt a serious look and Kurt felt the atmosphere shift again. "Listen Kurt, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but I'm here if you want to talk."

Kurt gave him a watery smile. People weren't usually so nice to him when confronted with his sexuality. "Thank you, I think I'm going to unpack my bathroom stuff now." Jeff smiled back, before he excused himself to go look for his friends.

* * *

Jeff had shown Kurt to the dining hall the previous night and before he knew it, it was morning and Kurt got ready for his first real day of school. He put on tight black skinny jeans, his white lace-up Doc Marten's, and a white dress shirt with a silver vest on top. He still packed a second outfit, because even though he'd been assured he wouldn't be bullied, you never knew.

Jeff, who had been on campus for the summer dance academy, where he had met Nick, led him through the school to a huge auditorium where freshmen orientation would take place.

They were running a little late because Kurt's hair wouldn't cooperate at first, and so they sat down in the back, before anyone could see them. Ten minutes into the welcoming lecture from the dean of education, the door behind him opened again, and three pretty girls sneaked in, sitting down next to Kurt and Jeff.

The blonde one next to him leaned over after a few minutes to whisper into his ear. "Are you a dolphin?" Kurt was confused and quickly shook his head. The blond turned to the dark haired girl sitting next to her and whispered, loud enough that Kurt could hear it. "See, I told you he wasn't one San." San rolled her eyes as if she was used to the blonde's antics. And she probably was. All three girls were wearing matching bracelets on their left wrists.

Kurt tried to focus his attention back to then dean, when the blonde leaned in again. "I'm Brittany. Do you want to make out? I'm bored." Kurt looked at her incredulously. "Not right now, thank you," he stuttered out. Since when did Kurt Hummel stutter? Then again, Kurt Hummel had never been propositioned before.

The blonde, Brittany, pouted before turning back to her friend. "He's no fun. Can we make out then, San?" Kurt did a double take when he heard San's answer. "Later tonight, I promise." How could they be so casual about that? The blond girl on the other side of San was scowling at her friends and told them to shut up, because her dad would kill her if she got in trouble the first day of school. Surprisingly, San and Brittany stopped talking immediately. Other blond must be the leader of sorts, Kurt guessed.

There had been cheerleaders in Kurt's old school, but Kurt had been way too unpopular to get close to them, but he assumed that the three girls sitting next to him would have ruled his school had they gone there.

Once the assembly was over, Brittany dragged Kurt along with her as her friends left. Before he knew it he was standing behind the auditorium where Quinn casually lit a cigarette. Kurt gaped at her. The girl must be a freshman like him and she was smoking.

The girl must have caught his expression, because she smirked at him. "Relax, it's not like I do it all the time, but the lecture was such a waste of time." San rolled her eyes next to her. "Quinn stop watching Sex in the City. Just because you're a New Yorker now doesn't mean you have to smoke." So the third girl finally had a name too.

"You're pretty. What's your name?" Brittany suddenly appeared next to him and leaned in. Did she just lick him? "Kurt, Kurt Hummel." "That's a funny name. That's my best friend Santana," she pointed at the dark haired girl, "and that's Quinn. We met her at cheerleading camp last summer?"

So he had been right about the cheerleading part. "Are you guys from New York?" It would be helpful if he knew a couple of locals to show him around.

Brittany shook her head. "Quinn's from Connecticut and I'm from New Jersey. Santana used to live in the Bronx, but her grandma doesn't want her to live with her anymore because we were kissing in Santana's room, but now it's even better because we can share one." Kurt wondered if the administration knew about the girls' relationship or whatever it was they had. Probably not.

Quinn meanwhile had stabbed out her cigarette and was now checking her Blackberry. "Come on, we need to get to class. I don't want to end up in a school run by nuns because you keep making me late."

She turned around to leave and Santana immediately followed her, while Brittany kissed him on the cheek and waved at him as she left. Kurt stayed rooted to his spot for a couple more seconds before he pulled out his map to find his way to his own first class. Was he just making friends with the popular kids?

* * *

The first half of the school day was devoted to academics and Kurt was glad the curriculum was a little more demanding than it had been in his old school or at McKinley. He had helped Finn with homework a couple of times, so classes couldn't be that hard in Lima.

Afternoons were reserved for the performing arts program, and after finishing his lunch Kurt made his way to his voice class. He had tried to take voice lessons in Lima, but most teachers wouldn't take him on because they wanted to wait until his voice changed. Now at fifteen, it was still high pitched and Kurt had given up on it ever changing. Now he just had to learn how to proper utilize it.

Santana, Brittany, Quinn and Jeff were all in the class as well and when their teacher told them to form groups of five, Brittany came over and pulled Kurt and Jeff back to the rest of the girls. Each group was given sheet music and they had the remaining hour and a half to prepare a performance of the song, because their teacher wanted to see how they worked under pressure and as a team.

Jeff had nearly choked when he saw that their teacher had handed them a Spice Girls songs, but Kurt was ecstatic because he had loved rocking out to them when he was a little kid.

Their performance was received relatively well, but the teacher criticized them for not including choreography in the performance. They were told to keep rehearsing the song and to present it again, in costumes and with choreography in a couple of days.

Kurt immediately offered himself as costume designer, while Jeff and Brittany wanted to take care of choreography. It felt as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders when he realized he could talk about clothes all he wanted and no one made fun of him, apart from Santana, but he somehow knew she didn't mean to really hurt him.

It might have taken twelve stitches to get him where he was now, but if every day was like that first day, he would gladly take them again.

* * *

Kurt joined Jeff again in the dining hall, where he met Jeff's friend Nick. Nick, like Jeff, was nice and asked him all kinds of questions, especially after he realized that Kurt was from Ohio as well. They shared a laugh when Nick told them, his parents had wanted to send him to Dalton Academy as well, but had protested just like Jeff did.

Kurt was about to excuse himself to go back to his room to call his dad and Mercedes, when Nick stopped him. "Hey, Kurt, are you going to audition for Vocal Explosion?" Vocal what? Nick chuckled before he explained.

"It's our show choir. A lot of our members graduated last year, so we need fresh meat." Kurt didn't know the school had a show choir but he knew he would have joined the one at McKinley, even though, according to Rachel, it was led by a creep.

"When are auditions?" he asked Nick as he put his tray away. "Friday, but we are performing tomorrow night so that anyone who's interested can see what we do." "Cool, I'll be there."

He said goodbye to Nick and Jeff before going back to his room. His phone call with his dad was short. His dad had made it safely back to Lima and Kurt assured him that everyone was treating him all right at his new school so far.

Mercedes was next and Kurt settled back on his bed to prepare for a lengthy chat. His best friend was excited because McKinley had apparently gotten a new choir teacher, and she, a girl named Tina, Artie from junior high and Rachel had joined up. Rachel was trying to convince Finn to join as well, and if they got enough members they would be able to compete.

Kurt in turn told her about Vocal Explosion and the audition he had planned for the following Friday. The talked about song ideas for a bit, until Kurt was interrupted by a knock on his window. He quickly said goodbye to Mercedes and promised to keep her updated.

When he opened the window, Santana, Brittany and Quinn were standing outside, all dressed in short skirts and tight tops.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered even though Jeff wasn't back yet and it was another hour till curfew.

"We've come to take you to a party with us," Brittany announced excitedly bouncing on her toes. A party? He hadn't heard about a party yet, and it was a school night.

"There's one at the Fordham campus like right across the street," Santana added in a bored voice, "and Brit insisted we take you with us."

Kurt wasn't sure if he should join the girls, because he didn't want to get into trouble his second day of school, but then again, his room was on the first floor and it would be easy to sneak back in. He would finally get to be part of the in crowd and a party sounded like a good way to celebrate the start of a new chapter in his life.

"Give me ten minutes to get changed," he told the girls before ducking into his tiny bathroom with a pair of tight, bright red jeans. He quickly switched his top and shoes as well, add more hairspray to his hair and left Jeff a note asking him not to lock the window before he stealthily climb out of it.

* * *

Like Santana had said the Fordham University campus wasn't far a way and soon they approached a sorority house where music was blasting threw the windows.

No one stopped them from going in, but Kurt wasn't surprised seeing as all eyes were on the girls. Before she left them to get drinks, Santana quickly pulled him aside. "If anyone asks, you are a freshman, major undeclared. You look like an eleven year old milk maid, so make it believable."

Kurt followed Brittany and Quinn to a corner where they waited for Santana to return with drinks. The house was packed and he hoped he wouldn't get separated from them. He was pretty sure he could find his way back to his dorm, but he wasn't exactly keen on having to return on his own.

Santana came back after a couple of minutes and thrust a red cup into his hand. "It's jungle juice. Apparently, that's what all the college kids drink" Kurt accepted the drink and sniffed it before taking a sip. It didn't taste particularly strong and he quickly finished his first one.

He hadn't realized that the girls had left to go dance, but when he came out of the kitchen second cup in hand, they were gone. Kurt shrugged and focused on the tasty cup in front of him.

He finished it quickly again not knowing what else to do and turned around to head back into the kitchen, when a full cup was put into his hand. He looked up to guy, dressed like a hipster with black-framed classes on his nose.

"Hey, didn't I see you in English 301 today," the guy had to yell because it was so loud in the house. Kurt shook his head. "I'm a freshman." The guy suddenly smirked and leaned in. "I like my men fresh."

Kurt could feel his face flush. Did he just get hit on? Maybe he should flirt back. This was a college party after all. People probably wouldn't care that he was gay and the girls had gone off somewhere. No one would know.

"I'm Kurt," he said as confident as possible. The older boy took his hand into his own. "Chandler, why don't we go somewhere more quiet so we can talk?" Talking sounded good, so Kurt nodded and followed Chandler to the back porch.

He sat down on the steps, careful not to spill his drink, and Chandler sat down next to him. He didn't know why he sat so close, but didn't want to tell off the first openly gay guy he met.

"I guess this is your first New York party, Kurt?" Chandler asked and Kurt blushed again. Was it really so easy to tell. He nodded nevertheless. No reason to deny it.

"Well I'm glad you came to this one," Chandler whispered into his ear and Kurt scooted a bit to the left. That was all going a little fast and it made him remember an incident he really wanted to forget. If Chandler noticed he didn't say anything, but he handed Kurt another cup of the tasty stuff.

Chandler asked him a couple more questions before he moved in closer again and put his hand on Kurt's thigh. Now Kurt may have been a bit tipsy at this point, but that didn't mean that guy could just touch him like that.

He tried to move Chandler's hand but the older boy kept a firm grip on his leg. "Come on, stay. I'll make it worth your time," he whispered as Kurt struggled to get up. Suddenly he wasn't feeling so good any more.

Chandler suddenly leaned in and Kurt was sure he was trying to kiss him, so he quickly turned his face away. Luckily, Chandler's lips didn't even get close to his, because suddenly he was being yanked back by another boy.

"Chandler, leave him alone. He's clearly not interested." Chandler looked annoyed as Kurt breathed out a sigh of relief. "Fuck off, Blaine. Just because you aren't getting any, doesn't mean I'm not getting any either."

The guy glared at Chandler until he finally got up and left. Kurt brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them as the guy, Blaine, regarded him with curiosity.

"I feel so stupid. I shouldn't have come out here with him. He kept giving me his drinks and I should have known that was a bad sign." Blaine cautiously stepped closer and sat down on the stairs close to Kurt, but not too close.

"It's okay. We're allowed to make mistakes?" Kurt opened his eyes again when his head started spinning. "Why did you come out here?"

"I saw him leave with you and I got worried because I know what he can be like and – no offense – but you looked a bit young." Kurt gave the slightly taller boy a grateful smile. He was good-looking, but had a nice smile unlike Chandler's smirk.

"None taken. Someone told me tonight I look like an eleven year old milk maid." Blaine laughed. Kurt liked to hear him laugh. Chandler had laughed too when they had talked. Maybe he was a funny guy but hadn't known it yet.

"Well I wouldn't say eleven because then you definitely shouldn't be here, but I guess you are in high school." "You don't look old enough to drink that either," Kurt retorted, pointing at the beer next to Blaine.

"You're right. I would have come sooner, you know, but I was ambushed by a guy as well." Blaine rolled his eyes. "You're gay too?" Kurt asked, his mouth probably hanging open unattractively.

"Mhm. I guess where you lived before, there weren't many out gay guys." Kurt shook his head. "I was the only one, and I wasn't even out. Tonight was the first time I even admitted it out loud."

Blaine gave him a sympathetic smile. Before he could answer though, he's phone alerted him to a text and after reading it, Blaine quickly finished his beer and stood up.

"Well, it was nice talking to you Kurt, but I got to go. See you around." He smiled at Kurt, before disappearing back into the house. Kurt himself had no plans to go back inside because he didn't want to run into Chandler again, and so he stumbled around the house only to crash into Brittany who was dancing on the lawn.

"There you are," came Santana's annoyed voice from behind him. "Time to get back. We have class tomorrow," Quinn added, looking equally bored.

Together they stumbled back to their dorms and after saying goodbye to the girls, Kurt made his way back to his window that luckily was still open a bit.

* * *

Kurt pushed open the window and pulled himself up, only to land gracelessly on the floor. A light close to him was turned on, and before he knew it he was pulled onto his feet.

"I don't feel so well," he mumbled as Jeff, it had to be Jeff, guided him into the bathroom where he promptly threw up most of the alcohol Chandler had handed him.

He could feel Jeff's hand rub soothing circles on his back until he was finished and managed to sit up.

"Must have been quite the party, hu?" Jeff joked and Kurt tried to glare at him. "If you count flirting with a guy who turned out to be a jerk, you are right. It was quite the party." Kurt realized too late what he just said and froze.

But Jeff just smiled at him and handed him a glass of water and some aspirin. "Like I said. If you ever want to talk, I'm here. And I promise I won't tell anyone, until you're ready okay."

"Okay," Kurt answered sleepily. Jeff left him alone in the bathroom and after swallowing the aspirin, he quickly changed into his pajamas and crawled into his bed. The alarm clock on his nightstand told him it was one o'clock in the morning and Kurt just hoped he would be able to sleep it off in five hours. Otherwise, he had to forego his moisturizing routine a second time.

* * *

School was horrible the next day, and when he saw Quinn, Santana and Brittany, they were all wearing sunglasses. Why hadn't he thought about that. Somehow he made it through the day though, and he was grateful their dance instructor decided to start lecturing them about the history of dance instead of teaching them choreography.

He couldn't wait for six o'clock to come, because then he would get to see Vocal Explosion in action.

There was already a crowd forming in the studio theater and Kurt snuck threw a few taller students to the front of the room. A few choir members were already on the small stage and Kurt smiled when Nick waved to him.

Suddenly music started up and Kurt recognized it as Katy Perry's Last Friday Night. A party song. How fitting.

Kurt expected one of the girls to take the lead, but a tall boy stepped forward. He would have been handsome, if he weren't smirking like Chandler had.

To Kurt's surprise the tall boy wasn't the only lead and Kurt turned beet red when he recognized Blaine as the second lead. So he wasn't in college either, but then, he had never said so.

Kurt tried to hide behind a taller boy but before he could disappear, Blaine's eyes found his and Blaine's widened in surprise.

The performance continued with the taller boy heavily flirting with Blaine and Kurt had to admit he was a bit disappointed. But of course, a gorgeous guy like Blaine already had a boyfriend. It was probably his boyfriend who had texted him last night.

Kurt scanned the performers to see what Nick was doing during the performance, when he froze. Because their was Chandler, winking at him. Kurt shuddered. Of course he went to this school as well. That explained how Blaine knew him. He quickly turned away and focused all of his attention on the two leads.

The performance ended with applause from the spectators and a tall, pretty girl announced that auditions would be held Friday afternoon. Blaine was gone by the time Kurt tried to spot him again, but he watched as the tall girl strode up to the tall lead singer and glared at him.

"What the hell, Sebastion. I'm not letting you sing lead again, if you can't keep your eyes to yourself." Sebastian didn't seem to be bothered by the angry looking girl. "Oh, please Alyson. You're just jealous I wasn't looking at you."

The girl, Alyson, scoffed. "I wouldn't even let you close to me if we were stranded on a deserted island." Kurt sniggered. He knew he would like that girl, because she put slimy looking guy in his place. Why was Blaine dating such an asshole?

When Kurt realized Nick was gone too, he left the small theater and nearly collided with Blaine who apparently had waited for him.

"I guess I wasn't wrong when I said you were in high school," he said with a teasing smile. "I haven't seen you around here before, so I'm guessing you are a freshman." Kurt nodded, trying not to blush.

"Aren't you a bit young then to sneak off to college parties." The teasing smile was still there, but it was nice instead of creepy.

"I'm fifteen. How old are you?" If Blaine was still in high school he couldn't be much older. "Sixteen. I'm a junior though." "Oh." Kurt didn't know what else to say.

"So are you thinking about joining Vocal Explosion?" Blaine asked after they were both silent for a bit and Kurt was staring at his shoes. He nodded without looking up, because he knew was probably bright red by now. Why did Blaine have to be so cute.

"I can help you with preparing for your audition if you want," Blaine offered and Kurt's head shot up. Blaine was willing to spend time with him. The yes was about to leave his lips when he remembered the other lead, Sebastian.

Why torture himself by spending time with a guy he didn't have a chance with. "That's okay. My roommate wants to audition too and we promised to help each other." For a moment Kurt thought Blaine looked sad, but it must have been wishful thinking. His phone chimed in his bag and he saw that his father was calling. Saved by the bell.

Blaine smiled at him and told him he would see him around before Kurt wandered down the corridor to talk to his dad.

* * *

Blaine hadn't actually planed to go to the party because he knew Sebastian was going and Sebastian, like his best friend Chandler, didn't seem to accept a no. The two seniors had a horrible reputation as it was and Blaine had no intention of becoming the newest conquest. He'd rather finish high school a virgin than let Sebastian touch him.

In the end it had been Wes and David, now in their senior year, who had convinced Blaine to come out with them. They both knew he needed a pick me up after being forced to spend the summer in his parents' house in Ohio. It wasn't that his father hated him, but he became distance after Blaine came out, and it got even worse after Blaine got beaten up at a dance at the beginning of his sophomore year.

It had been his much older brother Cooper, who had suggested NYADA to his parents, and because of "the incident" he was allowed to transfer 5 weeks into his sophomore year.

Wes, who for all appearances seemed to be incapable to do something forbidden, had managed to make a copy of their dorm's back entrance and they had been sneaking out together since they met in Blaine's sophomore year.

Students were allowed to stay out till after curfew if they wanted to see a show, but only if their parents signed off on it and because Wes parents were out of the country most of the year, he had found a way to duplicate the key.

Wes had promised to pass on the key to Blaine after their graduation, but until then, the upperclassmen had to depend on Wes to let them into the dorm after curfew if they didn't have permission to be out.

The party was loud, like most of the college parties Blaine had been to, and he grabbed a bottle of beer from the kitchen to have something to occupy himself with. He knew he didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol and so he stuck mostly to beer when he went out with friends, to avoid doing something stupid.

He was looking around the living room to make sure Sebastian wasn't close by when he saw Chandler lead a young looking boy out back. The boy was swaying slightly and was clutching a red cup with was probably not his first drink of the night.

He quickly made to follow them to make sure Chandler wouldn't do anything stupid when he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Hey baby, where are you going? I just got here." Blaine shrugged Sebastian's hand off and rolled his eyes. How many times did he have to tell this guy he wasn't interested.

"Not now Sebastian," he told the boy blocking his way and tried to walk around him to follow Chandler. Of course Sebastian wouldn't let him get away that easily. "So is that a promise for later. Because I don't know if I can wait that long."

Sebastian was really starting to piss Blaine off. The older boy had started hitting on him at the end of sophomore year and still hadn't let it go.

"I said, not now," he said angrily and shoved past Sebastian before he could say anything else. Luckily, he found Chandler and the boy in time and made sure the boy, who introduced himself as Kurt, was okay.

Blaine knew Kurt wasn't in college, he wasn't stupid, and he was a bit disappointed that he didn't know what high school Kurt went to. Before they could continue their talk, Wes texted him and Blaine had to leave if he wanted to get back into his dorm.

His performance the next day was good, even though Sebastian wouldn't stop flirting with him on stage, but he nearly missed his cue when he spotted Kurt in the front row.

If Kurt went to NYADA that probably meant he was a freshman though and it wouldn't look too good if a junior went after a freshman. Well, clearly Chandler didn't have the same reservations.

He was a bit relieved afterward, when Kurt told him he was fifteen, but he decided Kurt needed a friend more than a boyfriend, if Chandler really had been the first out gay boy Kurt had met.

He was disappointed when Kurt denied his help to say the least, but he knew there would be other opportunities to spend time with Kurt if Kurt got into Vocal Explosion.

Kurt was still at the other end of the corridor when Sebastian came up to proposition him yet again. He knew they had a no bullying policy at the school, but if Sebastian didn't stop it soon, Blaine would punch him in the face. Maybe he shouldn't let his boxing lessons go to waste.

Sebastian luckily left when Blaine told him so, but when Blaine turned to return to the dorms himself, he spotted Chandler staring at Kurt, who was still on his phone, totally oblivious to his surroundings.

He had a bad feeling about Chandler watching Kurt, but he hoped he was wrong and Chandler wouldn't try anything with Kurt again.

* * *

I've been looking up way too many Glee spoilers and I got pissed again, so I had to make sure Kurt got into NYADA when Rachel couldn't.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading :)


	3. 1x02: Auditions

AN: I know it's only Sunday but it was done and I figured, why make you wait. Can't promise that the next chapter will be posted early as well, but I'll do my best. :)

There will be between 12 and 15 episodes in the first season of NYADA.

Let me start by properly introducing the main characters.

* * *

**++++++++ At NYADA +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ****At McKinley ++++++++++++++++**

**Kurt Hummel,** OH, freshman: Hates that everyone immediately. ++++++++++++++++ +++ **Mercedes Jones,** freshman: Kurt Hummel's best friend

assumes he's gay. Fashionista, Star in the making. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ and best-dressed girl at McKinley. Future star.

**Jeff Sterling**, IL, freshman: Loves that his girlfriend's school has uniforms. Dancer. +++++ +++ **Tina Cohen-Chang**, freshman: Convinced a teacher she was a vampire.

**Brittany S. Pierce,** NJ, freshman: Promised her cat he could move into her dorm room ++++++ **Sugar Motta**, freshman: Spoiled rich girl. Can't really carry a tune,

once he quits smoking. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ but fun to have around.

**Santana Lopez**, NY, freshman: Is hiding razorblades in her hair the Bronx way. +++++++++++ **Artie Abrams**, freshman: Future filmmaker.

**Quinn Fabray,** CT, freshman: Loathes her uber-religious parents who'll send her ++++++++++ **Joe Hart**, freshman: Devout Christian, was home schooled.

to a school run by nuns if she gets into trouble again.

**Nick Duval**, OH, sophomore: Thinks he is the most talented dancer in Vocal Explosion. +++++++ **Rachel Berry,** sophomore: self-proclaimed star.

**Sunshine Corazon**, (international student), sophomore: Originally scouted by ++++++++++++ **Sam Evans**, sophomore: Transfer student, football player.

Vocal Adrenaline but didn't want to move to Ohio when she could have New York.

**Blaine Anderson**, OH, junior: One of only three mid-year transfer students ever. +++++++++++ **Matt Rutherford**, sophomore: football player and dancer.

Tries his best to make his distant parents proud of him.

**Wes Montgomery**, MI, senior: Can open doors for you … and not just figuratively. ++++++++++ **Mike Chang**, sophomore: football player and great dancer.

**David Thompson,** PA, senior: Main choreographer for Vocal Explosion. +++++++++++++++++ **Finn Hudson,** junior: quarterback with two left feet.

**Sebastian Smythe,** MA, senior: Doesn't get rejected. Period! ++++++++++++++++++++++ **Noah 'Puck' Puckerman**, junior: Self-proclaimed badass and sex symbol.

**Chandler Kiehl,** IN, senior: Best friends with Sebastian. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ **Harmony Pearce**, junior: The star of Sandy Ryerson's glee club.

They have a shared motto: I can always get what I want.

**Alyson St. James**, PA, senior: Captain of Vocal Explosion, Diva in the making,

hates Sebastian and Chandler. Her younger brother is the leader of Vocal Adrenalin ++++++++++ **Dave Karofsky**, sophomore: closeted, bullying jock.

**Bryan Ryan**, OH, voice teacher: Did unfortunately not make it on Broadway, +++++++++++++ **Will Schuester,** Spanish teacher, Glee coach:

but at least he's not teaching Spanish. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Once had big Broadway dreams.

**Shelby Corcoran**, OH, acting teacher/ director of the school musical. ++++++++++++++++++ **Sue Sylvester**: Best cheerleading coach in the nation.

Rumored to have moved to New York after adopting the baby of a student ++++++++++++++++ Santana, Brittany and Quinn have all attended her camps.

from her former school Carmel High.

**Dakota Stanley**, PA, dance instructor: Brilliant choreographer with lousy people skills +++++++++ **Emma Pillsbury**, guidance counselor: Only teacher who gives a damn.

* * *

**1x02: Auditions**

When Kurt and Jeff got to one of the rehearsal spaces in their dorm, Brittany was already teaching Santana and Quinn the Spice Girls' choreography to _Wannabe_. "Seriously, why do I have to be Scary? I don't want to rap?" Santana complained as Kurt dropped his bag in a corner and joined the girls in the middle of the room.

"It's because of your lovely personality," Quinn commented dryly, looking bored again. Kurt, by now, was questioning if she had other expressions. "You don't hear me complaining about being Ginger or Kurt about being Baby Spice." Kurt scowled at Quinn. He had complained at first but the other four had ganged up on him and had deemed him the most baby-faced of their little group.

"Can we stop fighting about this and get on with it. No one hears me complaining about being Posh. I don't even get my own lines," Jeff interrupted Santana and Quinn's bickering and eventually everyone settled down.

"Okay, let's just sing through it once and Jeffy and I will show you the steps again while you're singing," Brittany explained before back-flipping into her place behind Santana. Kurt was standing closest to the CD player and he quickly pressed play before Santana and Quinn took a step forward and launched into the song.

_Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want, (Santana) _

_So tell me what you want, what you really really want, (Quinn) _

_I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want, (Santana) _

_So tell me what you want, what you really really want, (Quinn) _

_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha. _

Kurt could barely contain his laughter as he watched Santana and Quinn acting all gangster in the costumes he had found for them all. Then Brittany pushed threw Santana and Quinn and dragged Kurt with her.

_If you want my future forget my past, (Brittany) _

_If you wanna get with me better make it fast, (Kurt) _

_Now don't go wasting my precious time, (Santana) _

_Get your act together we could be just fine (Quinn) _

They were all laughing hard once they were done. They had tried to follow Brittany and Jeff's instructions as best they could, but they hadn't been very successful. Kurt was glad he was still alive after stepping on Quinn's toes a few times in a row.

They weren't perfect yet, but Kurt wasn't worried. They still had a few more days to prepare before they had to perform in front of Mr. Ryan again, and they all had fun rehearsing together.

"So are you all gonna audition for Vocal Explosion on Friday?" Santana asked as she flopped down next to Brittany, who was showing off her flexibility, not realizing that his roommate, who had a girlfriend, kept egging her on so he could ogle her. Teenage boys. Kurt elbowed Jeff before telling the others what his audition song was.

To his surprise, Quinn offered to play it for him on the piano in the corner of the room so that Kurt could have some feedback. He had expected to be surrounded by backstabbing divas at this school, but so far he had made more friends in half a week than he had in all of middle school.

* * *

Two hours later Kurt was on his way to the dinning hall, sans Jeff who was still on the phone with his girlfriend, when Chandler came up to him. Kurt eyed him warily but decided to at least listen to what the older boy had to say.

"Listen Kurt. I need to apologize for Monday night. I wasn't exactly sober but that doesn't excuse my behavior and I'm sorry for that." Either Chandler was a really good actor or he was actually sincere. Kurt hoped it was the second one, because it was nice that someone was interested in him for a change.

"Can I ask you a question about Blaine?" Chandler nodded. "Are he and Sebastian…?" "Dating? Yeah, they've been together for about a year, but Blaine doesn't really like to broadcast it at school because if the teachers find out, he and Sebastian will have to follow certain rules as well."

So he had been right about that. It didn't surprise him though. Blaine was gorgeous and he supposed Sebastian could be quite attractive too if he wiped that constant smirk off his face.

"You don't like Blaine, do you?" Chandler asked, and for a moment Kurt thought he could see a flicker of the creepy smile back on Chandler's face, but it was gone a moment later, and Kurt wasn't sure if he hadn't imagined it. Unfortunately he couldn't stop the blush that was appearing on his face as he quickly denied it.

"No, of course not. I was just curious." "Good, so how about I take you out Friday night after your audition for Vocal Explosion?" Chandler suddenly asked. Kurt didn't really know what to say to that. After all, he had never been asked out on date before.

"Can I think about it? I'm not sure if this Friday is such a good idea. I promised my friends we'll go to the movies together." Well he hadn't agreed to it yet, but he wasn't sure if going out alone with Chandler was such a good idea.

"Sure, just let me know what you decide. And it doesn't have to be this Friday. I could try to get us student tickets for Wicked for next week," Chandler offered and Kurt's eyes widened. Wicked was he's favorite musical and seeing it live on a Broadway stage would be a dream come true. If Chandler wanted to see it too, maybe they had more in common than he thought.

"I, I have to meet my friends now, but I'll tell you soon," he stuttered mentally cursing himself for acting like a baby. Chandler just gave him one of his blinding smiles and left Kurt after he squeezed his arm.

Kurt remained frozen on his spot until he's phone rang and Jeff demanded to know why he wasn't at their table yet. He hung up after telling Jeff he was on his way and quickly made his way over to the dining hall, trying not to analyze his talk with Chandler too much.

* * *

Dinner was spent with Jeff gushing about his girlfriend and how insanely hot her school uniform was while Kurt kept staring over to Blaine who was sharing a table with two boys Kurt had seen during the Vocal Explosion performance as well.

Sebastian was sitting with Chandler and Kurt wondered why he wasn't sitting with Blaine when he remembered Chandler telling him they wanted to keep the relationship a secret. Would he do the same if he were dating Blaine? He wasn't even officially out yet, but so far no one at this school seemed to care if someone was gay or straight.

He was on his way back to his dorm when he heard someone call his name behind him. He turned around and came face to face with Blaine. "Hey Kurt, how are you?" Kurt was about to answer when he saw Sebastian behind Blaine glaring at him.

"I'm good, but I have to go call my dad, bye," he said in a rush and nearly sprinted off to his room. Sebastian clearly didn't want his boyfriend to talk to Kurt and Kurt wasn't sure if he could spend time with Blaine without making an even bigger fool out of himself.

Apparently Blaine didn't give up easily, because he stopped Kurt on the way to math the next morning and asked if he wanted to get coffee with him, so they could talk about how Kurt was settling in and offered his help for Kurt's audition again. Luckily the bell rang before he could answer and he gave Blaine an apologetic smile and ducked into the classroom.

He didn't understand why Blaine was so keen on spending time with him. It was probably out of pity for the boy that got drunk after his first day of school and had to be "rescued" at a party. What other reason could there be.

Sure he was making friends at his new school, but Blaine was older and had his own group of friends. Kurt was just a stupid freshman, after all.

The rest of the day he successfully managed to dodge Blaine before he could get even close to Kurt, but he knew he couldn't hide forever, because he had his audition on Friday and Blaine had already told him he would be there for it.

He just had to tell the butterflies in his stomach to stop fluttering whenever Blaine was around, because he didn't have a chance with him. Maybe than he could be Baine's friend or whatever it was Blaine wanted from him.

* * *

"So if I got this right, there's this guy who wants to talk to you, like all the time, but you don't talk to him because you like him and he has a boyfriend." Kurt nodded before remembering Mercedes couldn't see him. "And then there's this other guy who you don't really want to talk to because he does like you?"

"Yes, but Chandler's … I don't know intense. And he wasn't that great to be around when I met him." How was he supposed to tell Mercedes what was going on when he didn't want to tell her about the party and the alcohol. Mercedes may be his best friend, but she was also the biggest gossip he knew.

"Well, you can either keep pining after a guy who's taken or you can give the other guy a chance and see where it's going. Or…"

"Or, what Mercedes. Help me out here. I have no idea what I'm doing. I've never been in a relationship before."

"Well neither have I. And you don't have to be in one just because this guy likes you. There's nothing wrong with being single until you're ready to date or find someone you really like instead of dating the first guy who is interested in you. We are fabulous and we don't need a man in our life to prove that right?"

Kurt laughed. Mercedes was the only person he had ever come out to before Jeff and only because she had had a crush on him and he didn't want to lead her on. It was back in 7th grade when a lot of their class mates had started dating, when they had decided that they didn't need that because they were fabulous on their own.

"Alright, enough about me. Tell me about New Directions. Maybe if we both make it to Nationals we will compete against each other … if they let me join Vocal Explosion."

"They would be stupid not to," Mercedes assured him before she told him about the new club members they had now. Kurt was surprised to hear that Finn had joined since he and Mercedes had last talked, and had even managed to convince a few guys on the football team to join as well.

"Well Rachel is not too happy, we have all those new people?" " How come? You needed twelve people to compete and now you have them." He knew Rachel hated competition because that meant she had to fight for something for a change, but this was show choir and you had to work together to create something unique.

"Well, last week she convinced Mr. Schue that she should get to be the female lead because she was a sophomore and the rest of us are freshman, when he gave Tina a solo." "She didn't! What does it matter what grade you are in, as long as you're talented?"

Kurt had heard from Nick that everyone in school was allowed to audition for school plays and musicals regardless of the grade they were in, only lead roles where given to seniors and juniors if they auditioned for them as well.

"I don't know. But there was this girl, Harmony, and she was the star in Glee last year and Rachel hated her. There were rumors she transferred to Carmel and when she didn't audition for Glee and wasn't at school last week, Rachel thought she was the oldest now and convinced Mr. Schue to instate this new policy."

"I hear a delightful twist coming up." He just loved the way Mercedes told stories. It was too bad that the computer she had at home didn't have a web cam because he missed seeing her face when they talked.

"Harmony came back yesterday, and Rachel went crazy, because per the newly instated rule, Harmony was now the female lead and would automatically get all the solos unless she decided to give them to someone else."

Oh snap. That had to piss Rachel off. She had thrown a fit once in middle school when Kurt had been given a song she wanted to sing even though she was a grade above him. Mercedes was talking again and he focused his attention back on her.

"… it was actually Harmony who told the principle about Mr. Ryerson inappropriately touching his male students even though she was a star. So everyone likes her already because she got us a new choir teacher and she gave Tina her solo back."

"I'm actually jealous right now I missed that," Kurt waved at Jeff as he came into their room and disappeared into their shared bathroom.

"Oh don't be. I'm sure there's enough backstabbing going on at your school as well. Enjoy what you have right now, while you can."

"Alright, I have to go now. I still have a ton of homework to do and Quinn has agreed to rehearse my audition song with me again later tonight."

They said their goodbyes and Kurt opened his math book with a sigh. It was only the first week, but apparently the teachers wanted to prove that their school hadn't just an excellent arts curriculum but was also academically challenging.

* * *

Blaine had been trying to talk to Kurt for the past two days now, but the younger boy seemed to be avoiding him. He didn't understand why though. He had been nothing but nice to Kurt ever since they met, but Kurt acted as if he wanted nothing to do with him.

He had planed to invite Kurt for coffee, after he had refused to let Blaine help him with his audition piece, to make sure Kurt was doing okay after Monday night and was doing okay at school. He himself had been glad when Wes and David had taken him under their wings shortly after his transfer, and he wanted to do the same for the boy with the beautiful blue eyes.

* * *

Friday in voice class, Mr. Ryan asked them to sing the song in front of the class with which they had auditioned for NYADA so he could tell them how they could improve it. Kurt delivered, what he thought was another flawless rendition of _Defying Gravity_ to the astonishment of some of his classmates when he hit the high F.

His teacher looked impressed as well, but asked him to stay behind after class so they could discuss his performance. Kurt wasn't really worried because at least half of the class had to stay behind for the teacher's notes.

Brittany, to the amusement of the class, sung a Britney Spears' song, proving again what an amazing dancer she already was when she included some of the original choreography.

Santana surprised them with a soulful rendition of Amy Winehouse's _Back to black_ and Quinn borrowed Santana to sing _Popular_, also from Wicked. Kurt thought it was the perfect song for her, because she, without a doubt, must have been one of the most popular girls in school and she managed to give a fun performance without sounding arrogant.

Kurt was impressed with the talent of all his other classmates as well. All together there were forty freshman who were pursuing different interests and in addition to the five of them there were ten other students in this class.

Jeff was the last to go and he did a hilarious rendition of _Uptown Girl_, dancing around the girls in class and twirling Brittany around him as he finished the song.

Once class was over Kurt waited for his turn and approached Mr. Ryan once he called his name.

"I was very impressed that you were able to hit the high notes in the song. From what I've seen on the tapes you sent in, you are very comfortable with higher notes. " Kurt nodded, because it was true. He was a lot more comfortable singing girls' songs because high notes were easier for him to sing.

After a pause, Mr. Ryan continued. "Our goal will be to expand your range. So for your next assignment I want you to chose a song outside your comfort zone. It doesn't have to be immediately perfect. You do your best and we'll work on it together."

Kurt wasn't sure if he would be comfortable "butchering" a song in class, but wasn't that the point of attending NYADA; to train his voice so he could expand his repertoire. If he wanted to be on Broadway one day, he needed to be able to sing songs written for tenors, because there weren't many roles for countertenors outside of the opera.

Kurt thanked Mr. Ryan for his advice and hurried back to his dorm to get changed for his Vocal Explosion audition.

* * *

Jeff and the girls were waiting for him outside the auditorium, having auditioned already. He waved at them before making his way into the auditorium, past the current members of Vocal Explosion who would all watch his audition.

He handed the piano player his sheet music, went into the middle of the stage and took a deep breath when the music started.

_If someone stood up in a crowd_

_And raised his voice up way out loud_

_And waved his arm and shook his leg_

_You'd notice him_

_..._

_If someone in the movie show_

_Yelled "Fire in the second row_

_This whole place is a powder keg!"_

_You'd notice him_

_..._

_And even without clucking like a hen_

_Everyone gets noticed, now and then,_

_Unless, of course, that personage should be_

_Invisible, inconsequential me!_

Kurt couldn't make out much of the audience, but he spied Blaine giving him an encouraging smile before he launched into the chorus.

_Cellophane_

_Mister Cellophane_

_Shoulda been my name_

_Mister Cellophane_

_'Cause you can look right through me_

_Walk right by me_

_And never know I'm there..._

_..._

_I tell ya_

_Cellophane_

_Mister Cellophane_

_Shoulda been my name_

_Mister Cellophane_

_'Cause you can look right through me_

_Walk right by me_

_And never know I'm there..._

He held the last note as long as possible, fixing his bangs that were threatening to fall into his eyes as he did so. Once he was done he went of the stage and hurried back outside before Chandler could catch up with him. He figured not talking to him either would tell him that Kurt didn't plan to go out with him tonight.

* * *

Compared to Monday night, the weekend had been quiet. Santana had shown them around the city and they had discovered a small coffee shop called the Lima Bean. Kurt had been surprised to see the name, but had felt incredibly stupid when Jeff had asked if they had coffee from Peru. He hadn't even known that the capital of Peru was called Lima as well.

So much for public school education, he thought, once he was sure none of the others had realized that he had thought the shop was named after a city in rural Ohio. The coffee shop was only a few blocks away from the school and they quickly agreed that this would become their after school hang out spot.

Later that night they went out to go to the movies, but Kurt begged out of it when Santana wanted to drag him to another college party afterward. He didn't want to run into either Blaine or Chandler at a party again.

Sunday was spent on blankets in central park, where Jeff's girlfriend joined them for a picnic. As promised he spent a good hour on the phone with his dad while wandering around in the park later that same afternoon, telling him all about his classes and his audition for the school choir.

On Monday, Kurt had his first class with Shelby Corcoran, the school's new acting teacher. They spent most of their lesson playing warm up games, and Kurt was a little confused what this had to do with acting, but he had to admit, that at the end of the ninety minutes, he didn't care so much about making a fool out of himself in front of his classmates anymore, because they all looked and acted ridiculous during some of the games.

Before class let out, Ms Corcoran told them to stay for another couple of minutes so she could make an announcement.

"Auditions for this year's school musical will begin the following Friday. This semester we will be doing "Spring Awakening", she added after a brief pause.

People around him were cheering, but Kurt was surprised they would be allowed to do that musical in a school. As if she could read his mind, Ms. Corcoran elaborated once the class had quieted down.

"This being a school performance we of course will have to cut certain scenes, but the other teachers and I are working together to create a school friendly version of the musical without straying to far away from the original."

Kurt had never seen the musical life, but he had watched it on youtube and was exited to be able to participate in a musical about young people.

"Alright, everyone can audition, but if we have juniors or seniors auditioning for the three lead roles they will be picked over freshmen and sophomores. All other roles are fair game. The lead roles will be double cast however, and we'll alternate performers, so go for them if you want to."

There was no way Kurt would audition for a lead role, so he didn't mind the arrangement.

"We'd prefer you to audition with a scene and a song from the musical, but you don't have to. You can also asked a fellow student to help you with your audition, if for example the scene you are doing is a dialogue. If you have anymore questions please ask one of the older students in school."

Most of his classmates were excitedly jumping up and down and Kurt wondered for a moment if he should even audition. There were only so many roles for the 150 students at school.

He told Jeff as much who just laughed at him. "It's not like everybody will be trying to get into the school musical. They are also doing "A midsummer night's dream, a concert and the more ambitious dance students will perform the nutcracker for Christmas. From what Nick told me, it's mostly the people in Vocal Explosion who audition for the school musical."

Well that was a relief. He'd just have to get a copy of the libretto and find one of the smaller roles to audition for.

Only week two and life was already getting stressful. They had to perform their Spice Girls' number the next day in class, he had to work on his own assignment and if he got into Vocal Explosion he would have rehearsals with them as well.

He had no idea when he was supposed to do homework when he still had to eat and sleep. Adding the school musical into the mix would mean even less free time. But if he wanted to be a performer one day, he had to get used to work under pressure.

* * *

Kurt woke up Tuesday morning to a text message telling him to come to the auditorium at five where Vocal Explosion would announce their new members. Kurt had been surprised that not everyone would get in because all the students were so talented, but Alyson had explained that they were looking for people whose voices could replace the seniors that had graduated in May.

The day dragged on, but after their Spice Girls' performance, which went pretty well if he could say so, Kurt, Jeff and the girls made their way to the auditorium. Once everyone was inside, Alyson went up on stage with a list of the new members.

"Alright, thanks everyone for auditioning. If you didn't get in right now, you can come back next year. I'll be gone by then so I don't care if you blame not getting in on me." A few people were laughing around him, and Kurt felt himself immediately relax. If it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be.

He was already a student at NYADA; that had to mean he was talented.

"Sarah Brightman, Quinn Fabray, Mark Greyson, Kurt Hummel, Christina Jacobs, Thomas Lang, Santana Lopez, Christopher Miller, Brittany Pierce, Jeff Sterling; congratulations – you are the newest members of Vocal Explosion.

Before he knew it Brittany pulled him into a hug before kissing him square on the lips. Santana immediately pulled her back and Kurt could hear her tell Brittany about boundaries as he wiped his mouth with his shirtsleeve. Was it impossible for him to get kissed when he actually wanted to be kissed?

He couldn't be mad at Brittany though, who in her excitement had kissed Jeff and Quinn as well. When he turned around to pick up the bag he had dropped during her ambush, he saw Blaine standing close by, eyebrow raised. Kurt could feel himself blush and busied himself with looking for his water bottle in his bag.

"Congratulations. You were great." When he looked up, Blaine was suddenly standing right in front of him. "Thank you."

"So are you auditioning for Spring Awakening?" Blaine asked, falling in step next to Kurt as he walked away from the auditorium. Kurt nodded, trying not to look at Blaine too much.

"What about you?" "I'm definitely auditioning, but I'm not sure if I will go for a lead or not." Kurt looked up in surprise.

"You should, you are really good." Great and he was so blushing again.

"Thank you. Who are you going to audition for?" "Probably Ernst, because he's shy and naïve, so …" Kurt trailed off. No need to tell Blaine about his insecurities.

"Don't sell yourself short. Who would you want to audition for?" "Hanschen. I like how he goes after what he wants. But I'm not sure. Isn't he the one who is ahm on stage." He was definitely not going to say masturbating in front of Blaine.

"Yeah, but we're doing a PG 13 version. I wouldn't worry about that. Do you need help with your scene?" Kurt shook his head. He had been singing the song he wanted to use for years; he could do it in his sleep.

"If I'm going to audition for Hanschen I'm going to sing _I'm the greatest star_, to show I can be confident." "Mhm." "What?" Did Blaine think that was a bad idea?

"Word of advise. Use a scene from the musical to show them what you would be like in the role you're auditioning for. There's this one scene in act two that would work for you because there's a little bit of dialogue and you get to sing. I could play Ernst in the scene if you wanted."

How could he say no to an offer like that? Blaine clearly wanted to spend time with him, so maybe it was time to stop avoiding him, and figure out why Blaine constantly asked him to hang out. And if he remembered correctly, the scene Blaine was referring to involved a kiss. It wouldn't even be cheating if they did it on a stage.

* * *

Three days later, Kurt and Blaine went onstage together and Blaine explained why he was here too, before Ms Corcoran told them to start whenever they were ready.

Blaine stretched out on his back next to Kurt and Kurt started the dialogue part once he was comfortable. He was fighting the blush that threatened to appear each time he had to scoot closer to Blaine, before he took a deep breath an started the song.

_Come, cream away the bliss,_

_Travel the world within my lips,_

_Fondle the pearl of your distant dreams…_

_Haven't you heard the word of your body?_

_..._

_O, you're gonna be wounded,_

_O, you're gonna be my wound._

_O, you're gonna bruise too._

_O, I'm gonna be your bruise…_

Kurt leaned over and quickly kissed Blaine on his cheek, wishing he could kiss him for real. He barely paid attention to the next part of the conversation and was glad he could remember the words before he leaned over and kissed Blaine on the cheek again.

"_On my way here this afternoon, I thought perhaps we'd only … talk." _Kurt knew it was selfish to wish that Blaine would audition for Ernst. He nearly missed his cue again, and if he wanted to get that part he really had to focus now.

"_So, are you sorry we-?"_ Had it been out of line to kiss Blaine's cheek? They hadn't discussed how the would handle the kissing scene. Blaine had only decided that they wouldn't do it. He probably didn't want to cheat on his boyfriend, even with a stage kiss.

"_Oh no – I love you, Hanschen. As I've never loved anyone."_ Why couldn't Blaine say Kurt instead? _"And so you should." _So you should indeed.

They sat as close together as possible as they sang the last two lines together.

_O, I'm gonna bruise you._

_O, you're gonna be my bruise._

Maybe he should accept Chandler's offer after all. If he kept pining after Blaine he would only get his heart broken.

He was startled out of his revelry by Ms Corcoran who had come onstage to talk to them about the performance. "The two of you have great chemistry. Too bad Blaine has already auditioned for Melchior and I quite like him," she winked at Blaine who blushed.

Kurt smiled at Blaine, because he was sure Blaine would make a great Melchior, regardless of how much Kurt wanted Blaine to be his kissing partner. If he got the part he just hoped the other guy wasn't ugly or secretly homophobic.

* * *

Blaine had gone to grab a bottle of water after Kurt's audition and when he came back he saw Chandler talk to Kurt yet again. He had to make Kurt understand that Chandler was no good for him. If he couldn't date Kurt because of their age difference, then the eighteen year old senior was definitely too old. Besides, he was a huge asshole and Kurt deserved better. Someone like him, just in Kurt's year.

At least he had sabotaged Chandler's attempt to become Kurt's scene partner. Chandler had bragged to Sebastian when he thought no one was listening that he had auditioned for Hanschen so he could kiss Kurt, who would surely audition for Ernst, all the time, if Kurt wanted to or not. Blaine thought Kurt would be great in either role, but after what he had overheard he had made sure to convince Kurt to audition for Hanschen instead of Ernst..

Ms Corcoran hadn't been too happy about Chandler's audition either because she wanted to give the underclassmen a chance to show off their talent in the smaller roles. If all turned out how he wanted, Kurt would get Hanschen, and Chandler wouldn't even be part of the musical.

He waited patiently, until Chandler had left before he approached Kurt and handed him a bottle of water, earning him a grateful smile.

"I don't like you hanging out with him, you know. You're too good for him." Kurt narrowed his eyes and Blaine nearly took a step back. Was Kurt really going to defend the asshole? "Why?" Apart from the fact that he tried to molest you at a party?

"Look, Chandler chases people until he gets what he wants and the drops them or he waits until something shiny and new shows up." Blaine could tell that Kurt still didn't believe that Chandler was pure evil. He sighed.

"You know Alyson, right?" Kurt nodded, looking confused now. "She and Chandler started dating at the end of their freshman year and it lasted all summer, but then sophomore year started and he broke up with her in a text when a freshman caught his eye."

"But I thought he's gay. Maybe that's why he broke up with her? Because he realized that." Blaine shook his head. "Chandler's bisexual and he's done that with a lot of girls and boys at this school since then and it is rumored that alcohol is quite often involved in the "seduction."

"Oh, I thought bisexual is a term gay guys used in high school because they didn't want to admit to be fully gay," Kurt explained and Blaine couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Kurt. "Really?" Kurt blushed adorably, clearly embarrassed by what he had said.

Kurt quickly finished his water bottle before he spoke up again. "I don't want to be just another conquest. I like romance." "Then don't." Kurt was studying the floor in the small theater as if it offered him a solution.

He looked like he was holding back tears when he finally reacted to Blaine's advice and Blaine hated that he nearly made Kurt cry.

"What if that's the best I'm going to get. At least he's interested in me." Blaine's heart broke a little, and he was tempted to confess that he was interested too, but he couldn't. He would just have to make sure that Kurt stayed away from Chandler, so he could find a boyfriend his own age.

Blaine would rather see Kurt happy with someone else than being corrupted by Blaine. But he would try to be a mentor or even better, a friend, for Kurt.

* * *

**Up Next: **1x03: Spring Awakening. Duets and discoveries.

Let me know what you think, and please excuse any spelling mistakes I might have overlooked.


	4. 1x03: Spring Awakening

**AN: **Another early chapter because I'm struggling finishing a chapter for my other story and I had to finish something before the weekend...

* * *

**1x03: Spring Awakening**

Kurt was excited for his first acting class that wouldn't consist of just playing games and he was not disappointed when he went to class Monday afternoon.

"Alright, everyone. A lot of people think about Shakespeare when they talk about the theater." A few of his classmates immediately groaned when Ms Corcoran mentioned the playwright.

"And this is exactly the reaction I expected to get from you. Most young people, when they hear Shakespeare, think of stuffy costumes and difficult to understand language. So what I want you to do for your first assignment is pick a short scene from a Shakespeare play and translate it to our time. You can change the language to modern English but you don't have to. Just think about the kind of clothes your characters would wear and the setting."

That could be fun, Kurt thought. He had loved Baz Lurman's Romeo and Juliet after all.

"I'm going to announce pairs now. You have two weeks to prepare your performance. Additionally, I want a few pages where you explain the setting and the costumes you have chosen for your characters. I don't want you to build a set, okay? You can wear costumes, but you don't have too? Everything clear so far?"

Kurt nodded, already planning the perfect outfit for the few Shakespeare plays he knew.

"Quinn Fabray and Mark Greyson, Brittany Pierce and Jeff Sterling, Christina Jacobs and Jacob Thompson, Santana Lopez and Kurt Hummel."

Kurt stopped listening when his own name was called. He and Santana were somewhat friends, but he never really knew what the girl was thinking and when to take her seriously.

When class ended he walked over to her, ready to start planning. "I was thinking we could do something out of "Romeo and Juliet". Maybe the masquerade ball at the beginning, because I could do amazing costumes for that."

"Okay, listen up Porcelain." Well, that was definitely nicer than some of the names he'd been called before. "I ain't no Juliet and besides, that's probably what all the other losers are going to do. I need something fun, I need a girl who knows what she wants and speaks her mind, okay?"

Kurt nodded. She was probably right when she assumed that most of his classmates would use Romeo and Juliet. "I don't know that many Shakespeare plays but maybe we can go to the library and get some of his plays."

"Forget reading, just get a couple of movie versions. I don't have the time to read a bunch of old English shit." "Fine."

They were about to leave the classroom when Ms Corcoran stopped them.

"Last announcement before you leave. The cast list for Spring Awakening will go up at the end of the week. Auditions for A midsummer night's dream will start in two weeks. Have a good afternoon."

Santana grabbed his hand and dragged him off in the direction of the library. "Let's get this over with. Britt and I have plans for the night."

They had nearly reached the large school library when they almost ran over Blaine, whose face immediately lit up when he saw Kurt.

"Kurt, I was looking for you. Maybe you can give me your number so I can stop searching the school when I want to talk to you."

Kurt prayed that he didn't turn red when Blaine asked for his number, but he was probably not very successful judging by the smile on Santana's face. When Kurt didn't move she thrust a pen into Blaine's hand and held out Kurt's for him.

"Just right it down, Kurt will text you later." Kurt glared at Santana but she just smiled at him innocently.

"Why were you looking for me?" he finally found his voice again. "Oh, I was wandering if you wanted to get coffee later tonight at the Lima Bean."

Shit what was he supposed to say? He couldn't use his usual excuse because Santana was standing right next to him.

"He'll be there at 7," Santana unfortunately answered for him and when Blaine gave him a big smile, Kurt just had to smile back, before Blaine turned and walked away.

"So did you two hook up or what was that all about?" Santana asked once Blaine was gone. "What? No, of course not. He has a boyfriend."

"So you would like to hook up with him. Well, he asked you for coffee, maybe he wants to hook up too." Kurt shook his head, blushing furiously. Then he realized what she had asked him.

"Is it really that obvious that I like boys?" he asked in a small voice, studying the floor to avoid having to look at her.

"Well, it's for me, but I have awesome gaydar. But fuck labels. Just because I like making out with Brittany doesn't mean I'm a lesbian, okay?"

The look on Santana's face quickly convinced him to go along with what she was saying.

"Just do what you want and if others need to label you, let them. Doesn't mean you have to do it yourself."

"But what do you say when someone asks you?" Kurt wanted to know. "It's none of your goddamn business, that's what I say."

Well, so far only Jeff had asked him and Chandler and Blaine had just assumed. Maybe he didn't need to make a big announcement and just keep doing what he was doing. And maybe, he was ready to stop lying when someone asked him about it. There were plenty of out people at NYADA, and so far he hadn't seen anyone get bullied. Maybe he was really safe here.

* * *

Blaine was already sitting at a table in a corner, two cups of coffee in front of him, when Kurt entered the coffee shop. He hoped he wasn't interrupting Blaine's coffee date because he was ten minutes early.

To his surprise Blaine immediately waved him over when he spotted Kurt. "Hey, good timing. I just got us coffee. I hope a latte is okay."

Kurt nodded. He usually drank non-fat mochas, but Blaine has bought him coffee. If he didn't know better, he would have thought they were on a date.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to." "That's okay, you can just get the next one." Blaine smiled and Kurt finally sat down on the chair opposite of Blaine.

"Thanks for the text Kurt, but I don't get why you called me a hobbit?" Blaine was just adorable when he looked confused, Kurt thought. "That was Santana," he then blurted out. "She gives everyone weird nicknames. She calls me Porcelain now." Sometimes he really hated his pale skin because he could never hide his blush.

"Well, I'm glad you've already made friends. I transferred to NYADA five weeks into my sophomore year and it was hard at first because most people already had a clique they hung out with. But I got lucky because Wes and David, they are in Vocal Explosion as well, took me under their wing."

Maybe those were the boys Blaine sat with during breakfast and dinner.

"I got lucky I guess. My roommate is pretty nice and Santana and her friends ask me to hang out a lot too. It's a nice chance from my previous school." Kurt stopped himself there. He didn't want to tell Blaine his whole sob story the first time they hung out.

Blaine, though, surprised him with his answer again. "I get what you mean. I was the only out kid at my old high school and I got taunted a lot. I complained to the faculty but they just ignored me. I begged my parents to let me transfer, but I never told them how bad it got, so they didn't let me at first."

"What changed?" Kurt couldn't believe he finally met someone who understood what he'd been going through.

"Something happened at the beginning of my sophomore year and my brother convinced my parents to let me come here. They were always really proud of my piano skills and thought I'd want to pursue that, so they agreed."

Kurt wanted to ask what had happened, but he didn't know Blaine well enough yet, and if he was anything like Kurt, than he probably didn't want to talk about it anyway.

"I told you I wasn't even out at my old school, but I don't think it mattered to people. They still treated me like crap and luckily my aunt found this school for me and convinced my dad to let me apply. He just got remarried and he didn't want me to move out of state, but the private schools in Ohio were just too expensive for us."

No one had made fun of him yet because he was on a scholarship so why lie. Blaine had gone to public school too, so maybe he was on one as well.

"You are from Ohio as well? I'm from Columbus." Blaine told Kurt who was surprised to hear that. "Don't tell me you've tried to get your parents to let you transfer to Dalton?"

Now it was Blaine's turn to look surprised. "How did you know?" " Just a guess. You are the fourth person at NYADA, including me, who nearly went to Dalton." "No way. "Way."

They both started laughing uncontrollably until Blaine nearly spilled his coffee.

"Ms. Corcoran told us the cast list will go up soon. Do you think you got the lead?" Kurt asked once they had stopped laughing.

"I'm not sure. Last year the teachers gave notes to everyone who auditioned before the list went up and that was an indication for some people. Ms. C told me I would have been a good Moritz but she liked me as Melchior as well. For all I know that could mean that I get Moritz, or Melchior or nothing. But let me know if she talks to you."

"Okay." Kurt took a look at his watch and was surprised to see that it was already close to nine. He hadn't realized how much time had passed, but he had to get back, to finish the rest of his homework.

Blaine walked back with him, and told him he had fun before he went upstairs. Kurt's phone announced a new text as he settled on his desk to brave his math homework. "Next time, coffee's on you. Blaine "

Kurt sighed again. Their coffee outing would have been a perfect first date, if Blaine wasn't dating someone else. But if Blaine still wanted to be friends, Kurt would make sure he was a good friend. A friend who didn't daydream about kissing said friend.

* * *

Kurt was on his way to practice with Santana, a translation of their scene in hand. They had both watched a few of Shakespeare's comedies and had agreed to do a scene from "Much Ado About Nothing" because Santana liked Beatrice and Kurt had to agree that he enjoyed the banter between Beatrice and Benedick as well.

He must have gotten lost somewhere along the way because suddenly he was in a hallway he hadn't been in before. He spotted a rehearsal room to his left and looked in through the window in the door to check if anyone was in there.

The room most certainly wasn't empty. A boy, Kurt had never seen before, was being pressed against the opposite wall by another boy. Kurt was about to leave to give them some privacy when the boy who had his back to the door, turned his head slightly. Kurt gasped, because one of the two boys making out was Sebastian, and the other was most certainly not Blaine.

Before he could really process what he was seeing Kurt's phone rang in his pocket and he quickly stepped away from the door, afraid that the boys inside would see him.

It was of course Santana who told him to hurry the fuck up. It took him another ten minutes to find the room where Santana was waiting for him and as soon as got there she took the papers out of his hands.

"Let me see what you did?" she demanded before handing Kurt back his part so they could read through it.

**Kurt**

Sweet Beatrice, would you come if I called you?

**Santana**

Sure, and leave if you wanted me too

**Kurt**

Then stay till then

**Santana**

Then is now, so goodbye, but before I go,

give me what I came for, which is

knowing what has happened between you and Claudio

**Kurt**

Only foul words; I'm going to kiss you now

**Santana**

Foul words are nothing but foul wind and fould wind is

Nothing but foul breath and foul breath is disgusting.

I'm going to leave unkissed

**Kurt**

You have frightened the word out of its right sense,

So strong is your wit. But I have to tell you plainly

Claudio faced my challenge and either I should hear

From him shortly or I have to call him a coward

But, please, now tell me, for which of my bad parts

have you fallen in love with me?

**Santana**

For them all together; which maintained such a

State of evilness that they wouldn't allow a good part

To mingle with them. But for which of my good parts

Did you first suffer love for me?

**Kurt**

Suffer love! a good epithet! I do suffer love

indeed, because I love you against my will.

**Santana**

In spite of your heart, I think; Poor heart!

If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for

yours; for I will never love what my friend hates.

**Kurt**

You and I are too wise to court peaceably.

"Wow, you seriously call that shit modern," Santana exclaimed once they had read through their lines. Kurt scowled at her. She let him do all the work and then dared to complain.

"It's the best I could do, but you're welcome to give it a try if you think you can do it better," he shot back angrily.

"Wow, what got your panties in a twist?" Santana asked after his outburst. Kurt wasn't sure he should tell Santana about Sebastian, but he could need some advice.

"I saw Sebastian make out with some guy," he explained. Santana raised one of her eyebrows. "Sebastian? I thought you were hot for Blaine."

"I am, I mean I don't like Sebastian." He wasn't hot for Blaine. Sure he wouldn't say no if Blaine asked him out, but he didn't think about him like that.

"Sebastian is Blaine's boyfriend, and I don't know if I should tell Blaine," he continued when Santana just kept staring at him.

"Ha, I didn't know that. They don't give off that vibe." Santana shrugged her shoulders. "Chandler told me that they want to keep it a secret."

"Another guy? Damn Hummel, we've only been here for a few weeks and you already scoped out all the hot gays." Kurt could feel himself blush for what must be the millionth time since he started at NYADA.

"It's not like that. Do I tell him or not?" "If you want Blaine you tell him. He'll be eternally grateful that you told him about his cheating bastard bf and he'll be all yours."

As if it were that easy. Still, he thanked Santana for her advice after swearing her to secrecy, before heading back to his room to start working on the costumes for their performance.

.

* * *

On Thursday Kurt was back in the Lima Bean with Blaine. He still hadn't made up his mind about telling Blaine about Sebastian and decided to just observe Blaine's behavior to find out if he already knew or not.

"So Ms. Corcoran stopped me after class today to critique my performance." He hadn't been surprised by what she said, because he knew he had been distracted by Blaine.

"What did she say? I thought you did very well," Blaine told him with a smile on his face. Kurt never knew with Blaine. Was he flirting or was he just friendly like that with everyone?

"She said I lacked the confidence in my performance that Nick had, but I still did a good job for it being my first audition and she would like to have me in the production."

"That's great Kurt! Maybe you get to play one of the other boys." Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and squeezed it briefly and Kurt tried to disguise his blush with a cough.

If he was completely honest, it wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't get cast as Hanschen. Just being a part of the production would be amazing, because he could spend more time with Blaine – as friends of course.

They spent the rest of their coffee non-date mostly talking about their favorite music and discovered their shared passion for Vogue. It was a nice evening but Kurt thought that Blaine was sending him mixed signals.

Another question was – did he even want Blaine to flirt with him? He'd been angry when he discovered Sebastian with another guy, so wouldn't that make Blaine a cheater as well.

Who knew high school outside of television drama could be so complicated. He couldn't just meet a nice single guy who would immediately fall in love with him. Damn those Disney movies and their happily ever after endings.

* * *

The next day after Vocal Explosion rehearsal Kurt, Jeff and the girls made their was over to the auditorium with most of the other VE members following closely behind them.

Kurt soon cursed the fact that he still hadn't experienced a growth spurt because he couldn't even see part of the list and so had to wait until some of the older students let him through.

After a few minutes of nervously waiting around he could finally look at the list.

**Cast list "Spring Awakening" PG 13 version**

_The Girls_

Wendla ... Alyson St. James / Sunshine Corazon

Martha ... Sarah Brightman

Thea ... Brittany S. Pierce

Anna ... Santana Lopez

Ilse ... Quinn Fabray

...

_The Boys_

Melchior ... David Thompson / Blaine Anderson

Moritz ... Sebastian Smythe / Wes Montgomery

Hanschen / Rupert ... Nick Duval

Ernst / Reinhold ... Kurt Hummel

Georg / Dieter ... Jeff Sterling

Otto / Ulbrecht ... Chandler Kiehl

...

_The Adult Women ... _Shelby Corcoran

_The Adult Men ... _Bryan Ryan

...

Kurt heard Brittany shriek next to him before he was pulled into a short hug by Blaine. "I got a part," Kurt mumbled still a little dazed.

"Told you would get something," Blaine said after releasing him.

"And you got Melchior, that's so great," Kurt exclaimed happily. He didn't get Hanschen, but he still got a part where he had some lines and got to sing. And doing all that on a stage with Blaine, didn't hurt either.

"We gots to go out and celebrate," Santana suddenly yelled. Quinn and Brittany immediately agreed, but Jess excused himself because he had a date. Kurt saw the glimmer in Santana's eyes, but Kurt couldn't stop her in time.

"So Blaine, you want to join us? Maybe you could give us newbies some advice. Unless you have something better to do?" she drawled.

Blaine shook his head, and told Santana he would meet her outside the dorms at eight. Once he was out of sight, Santana leaned in and whispered, "you can thank me later," into his ear. Kurt pushed her away, because in that moment he could strangle her.

The five of them met up outside the dorm building shortly after eight, Quinn, Santana and Brittany again in short skirts that reminded Kurt of cheerleading outfits. Kurt himself had paid special attention to his outfit as well, but he convinced himself he only did it because they were going out to celebrate.

"Did you leave your window open as instructed," Santana immediately asked when Kurt joined them and he nodded.

The freshman had to be back in their dorms by ten, because their keycards didn't work past their curfew. Blaine as a junior was allowed to stay out till midnight on weekends but if he got caught letting them in, he would be in a lot of trouble.

They had no plans to return early that night though and therefore had to sneak through windows again.

Blaine brought them to a small karaoke bar which let them in as long as they weren't drinking, but Santana quickly flirted some drinks out of a group of college boys.

Kurt eyed the coke and rum in front of him with distaste at first, but after he took a sip he had to admit that he liked it a lot more than the jungle juice he had at the party, because it was less sweet and he could actually taste the alcohol this time which cautioned him not to drink too much.

Santana must have concocted an evil plan to leave him alone with Blaine most of the times, because the girls were constantly up on stage, to the cheers of the audience. Kurt didn't like how some of the boys were looking at his fifteen year old friends, but luckily the girls didn't pay them any attention.

When Santana came back with a fresh drink in hand, she sat down next to Blaine and looked him up and down for a few seconds, before she smirked. Kurt really had a bad feeling about the night now.

"So Blaine, are you happy with the people you'll be performing with?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah, I've done stuff with Wes before so I know we work together well, but I'm excited to be paired with Sunshine because we've never been in the same production before," Blaine explained, oblivious to Santana's scheming.

"So you're not sad that Sebastian is part of the first cast?" Kurt tried to kick her under the table but he unfortunately couldn't reach that far.

"To be quiet honest, I'm glad I'm not?" Santana quickly looked over to Kurt before turning back to Blaine. "How so?" she asked, still managing to turn it into an innocent question.

"Well, ah, he can be pretty intense, and I like to focus on my performance, if you know what I mean?" Santana just smiled at him. "You bet I do."

Blaine excused himself soon after to get another drink and as soon as he was out of sight, Kurt scooted over to Santana.

"Santana, what the hell are you doing?" "What? I'm just trying to help you. Either they broke up or he gets turned on when they are together. For your sake I hope it's the first. Come to think of it though; why would they still be together after you told him about Sebastian."

"I haven't told him yet," Kurt hissed. Santana raised her eyebrow in question. "What if I tell him and he confronts Sebastian, and Sebastian denies it and makes me look like a jealous jerk who's trying to break them up."

"Whatever, I'm done playing couples' therapist for the night. I need to get my dance on."

An hour later, Kurt was staring to feel his coke and rum and told the others he was heading home. Blaine offered to take him, and Kurt was tempted to refuse and tell Blaine to stay and have fun, but the look on Santana's face told he it would be safer to accept Blaine's offer.

They said goodnight out side of Kurt's window, and Blaine again briefly hugged him, before he climbed through it. Could that boy just stop confusing Kurt? Jeff wasn't back yet, so he left the window open and did an abbreviated version of his moisturizing routine before falling into bed, and dreaming of Blaine – a-freaking-gain.

* * *

Saturday morning, Kurt thankfully woke up without a hangover and after finishing a healthy breakfast he got dressed and got on a subway to 42nd street. It was still early in the morning but Times Square was already crowded by tourists and Kurt couldn't even imagine what it must have looked like with cars driving around.

He sat down on the red steps and pulled out his phone to call his dad.

"Hey buddy, how are you doing?" his father asked after he picked up. "I'm great dad. I got cast in the school musical, but that means I can only come home for three days for Thanksgiving because we start performing that week."

The line went silent for a moment, and Kurt knew his dad was disappointed. "Well, than we just have to come to you. We're not missing you're first big production," his father announced to his surprise after a few seconds had passed.

"Finn's never been to New York and maybe you can ask Mercedes if she wants to come with us as well. We'll just have to do Thanksgiving at your aunt Kate's this year."

"Really, dad? That would be great. I'd love for you to see me on stage."

"Than it's decided. You get us tickets and we'll come up for opening night and stay the week. I hope though, you're not taking on too much. I mean, you're already part of that choir thing."

"I'm fine dad," Kurt interrupted quickly because he didn't want to tell his dad he had worried about the exact same thing.

"It's not too much. Right now I'm at Time Square playing tourist because I already finished most of my homework and I figured I deserved a break," he continued.

"I'm not sure how I feel about you running around New York on your own," his dad answered, worry evident in his voice.

"But dad, I'm a New Yorker now. And nothing's going to happen to me in broad daylight. When we go out in the evening we always go as a group," Kurt quickly assured his dad. He had to be careful though because he had nearly slipped up and said when we go out at night.

"I hope so. I trust that fancy school of yours to keep you safe." Kurt felt a bit guilty at that because of the sneaking out past curfew they had been doing, but he was a teenager, he was supposed to break curfew and go to parties his parents wouldn't allow him to go to.

"And I am safe. I promise. No one is harassing me at school." "Good, well you keep me updated. I have to go now, breakfast is ready. Love you Kurt.

"I love you too, dad." After hanging up his phone, Kurt snapped a picture of the brightly lit advertisements for the various Broadway shows and sent it to Mercedes. His best friend would be the next on his list of calls he wanted to make that day, but it was only nine o'clock in the morning, so he might as well walk around a little longer before calling her.

Kurt ended up in Chelsea where he discovered some lovely little boutiques and before he knew it was noon and he stopped at a deli for lunch before calling Mercedes.

"Hey Cedes, did you get my message?" "Sure did, and I can't tell you how jealous I am." She was laughing though and Kurt smiled as well.

"Well, my dad just told me you could come with my family to New York for Thanksgiving if your parents allow it," he told her and then promptly removed the phone from his ear when she started yelling.

"Oh my god. I want that so bad. Can you imagine the two of us going Black Friday shopping." Oh how he wished that was possible, but now that he wasn't working in his dad's shop anymore he didn't really have the money for elaborate shopping tours. And besides, they would be in New Jersey for Thanksgiving.

"We'll see about that. Now tell me what's going on in New Directions. Finn isn't much of a gossip and we don't really talk that much."

"Okay are you ready? Sam and I got partner up for a duet competition and if we win we get to go to Breadstix for dinner and then maybe he'll think it's a date. Wouldn't that be great?" Mercedes gushed.

"He would be crazy not to take you out on a date," Kurt assured her. Maybe one of them could actually get the guy they wanted.

"Harmony got paired with Finn, so Rachel got another reason to hate her, though Harmony's totally not interested in Finn, because rumors are she has a fling with Puck."

"How scandalous of her. I don't get why Rachel is so insecure. I know that Finn loves her. I had to listen to him telling me how great she is all the time this summer."

"Who knows? She probably doesn't like the fact the Harmony shares her solos with me and Tina while Rachel only gets lines in group numbers. But it's her own fault. I she didn't constantly antagonize Harmony I'm sure she would share with Rachel as well."

"You know I'm really glad now that Vocal Explosion holds auditions for all their solos and duets. Granted I haven't gotten one yet, because they mostly go to the older students who've been a part of the group longer."

"I'm sure you'll get one soon. You're great." "Thanks Cedes. I knew there was a reason why you are my best friend." Kurt told her.

"So have you done anything scandalous yet?" Mercedes asked after a brief moment of silence. Kurt debated for a second if he should tell her, but he figured he could tell her a bit without giving away too much.

"I went to a college party with some girls I met on my first day and yesterday we went to a karaoke bar and had to sneak into our dorm after curfew," he finally confessed.

"Wow, you're life is just so much more interesting than mine right now. The worst I did was sneak tots into the library."

"Then I think you are the real rebel. I would never dare to bring food into our library here." They both laughed at and continued their gossip for a while longer until Kurt got a text from Santana telling him to meet him for a rehearsal in an hour.

Mercedes promised to talk to her parents about Thanksgiving before they both hung up and Kurt tried to find the right subway line to get back to school.

* * *

Kurt came to the auditorium fifteen minutes early on Sunday and as expected Nick wasn't there yet. They had decided to rehearse their main scene in private a few times before actual rehearsal started on Monday.

He had planned to wait outside of the auditorium but when he heard music through the door he got curious and stepped inside.

Blaine was sitting at the piano playing the opening notes for what Kurt thought was "The Guilty Ones." Kurt could have stood there and watched forever, but unfortunately Blaine stopped playing once he spotted Kurt.

"You're not Sunshine. She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago to rehearse with me," Blaine joked as Kurt approached the stage.

"Sorry, I just heard music while I was waiting for Nick and I got curious." Kurt explained as he climbed on stage.

"Well, maybe you can help me out until she comes. Would you sing Wendla's part with me." Kurt gulped nervously but nodded still, because he had really enjoyed singing with Blaine during his audition.

Blaine put his iPod in the dock and then motioned for Kurt to join him in the middle of the stage, after handing him the sheet music.

When it was time for Kurt to start singing Blaine gave him an encouraging smile and Kurt took a deep breath before starting.

Kurt

_Just too unreal, all this._

_Watching the words fall from my lips…_

Blaine

_Baiting some girl – with hypotheses!_

Kurt and Blaine

_Haven't you heard the word of your body?_

Blaine reached, tentatively, took Kurt's hand. They began a private pas de deux.

Blaine

_Don't feel a thing – you wish._

Kurt

_Grasping at pearls with my fingertips._

Blaine

_Holding her hand like some little tease._

Little tease indeed, Kurt thought. Why did Blaine have to be so confusing?

Kurt and Blaine

_Haven't you heard the word of my wanting?_

_..._

_O, I'm gonna be wounded._

_O, I'm gonna be your wound._

_O, I'm gonna bruise you._

_O, you're gonna be my bruise._

_..._

_Just to unreal all this._

Kurt

_Watching his world slip through my fist…_

Blaine

_Playing with her in your fantasies._

Kurt and Blaine

_Haven't you heard a word – how I want you?_

_..._

_O, I'm gonna be wounded._

_O, I'm gonna be your wound._

_O, I'm gonna bruise you._

_O, you're gonna be my bruise._

They finished together, both of them panting a bit, and Kurt realized he had to tell Blaine the truth about Sebastian because if Blaine found out later that Kurt had known and hadn't told him he would probably lose him as a friend.

"Hey Blaine, I have to talk to you about something important." He realized that he was stilling holding Blaine's hand, as must Blaine because he let go of Kurt's hand at his request.

Kurt heard a door open behind him and a small girl Kurt had seen at his first Vocal Explosions rehearsal ran up to them.

"Sorry, I'm late Blaine. Mr. Stanley wouldn't let us leave until everyone in class could do a split. Luckily Ms. Corcoran saved us before anyone got hurt. I'm Sunshine." She thrust her hand in Kurt's direction.

"Kurt." Kurt looked at Blaine imploringly, trying to convey with his eyes that it was really important that they talked. Something that looked like fear briefly flashed over Blaine's face, but Kurt quickly dismissed it.

Why would Blaine be afraid if Kurt wanted to tell him something?

"I need to rehearse with Sunshine now. But we'll talk later, okay?" Blaine briefly squeezed his shoulder and Kurt knew he had been dismissed. He said goodbye to Sunshine and left the auditorium, just as Nick approached for their own rehearsal. The talk with Blaine had to wait then.

* * *

Blaine's heart was pounding in his chest. He knew he shouldn't have taken Kurt's hand. Singing the song was enough without acting out the scene as well. He was sure, Kurt had been about to confess his crush on Blaine.

He wasn't stupid. He had noticed how Kurt acted whenever he was around him, and he hated that he couldn't reciprocate.

Rehearsing with Sunshine took his mind of things for a while, but he dreaded the conversation with Kurt. Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid the boy forever. Courage, he told himself. If Kurt really confessed his feelings for Blaine, Blaine would just have to let him down gently.

* * *

Kurt was trying to figure out Blaine's confusing behavior with a pint of ice cream on his bed when Santana barged in without knocking and immediately closed the door behind her.

"Hey, I'm not supposed to close the door if I have a girl in my room," Kurt reminded her but Santana just scoffed. "Please, as if anyone would believe the two of us are fucking."

Kurt blushed because he wasn't use to people using such crude language around him.

"So have you told the hobbit yet? Is that why you're stuffing your face with ice cream?"

Kurt shook his head. "I tried to tell him but than Sunshine interrupted and he told me to leave. It was like he didn't even want to talk to me all of a sudden."

Santana flopped down on the bed next to him and stole his spoon, before she ate some of his ice cream.

"Don't worry, as soon as you tell him, you can get all up on him. He's kinda small but he has strong arms, so I bet he could take you against the wall."

Kurt wished the floor would open and the earth would swallow him whole. "Santana. Can you please not say stuff like this." Santana handed him his spoon back and he put it on his bedside table because he did not want to share her germs.

"Relax, baby gay. I'm just joking. I'm sure you have your own ideas of what you want to do with him." Couldn't she see she was making him uncomfortable? He had to get rid of her before she said more things he wasn't ready to hear just yet.

Luckily, Jeff came back into the room a few minutes later and Santana took that as her cue to leave. Kurt knew she would be the death of him some day.

* * *

Unfortunately, Kurt didn't see Blaine at all during his morning classes on Moday and he had to postpone their talk yet again. That same afternoon brought the dreaded voice lesson where he had to present his outside of his comfort zone piece. It was the worst song that he could come up with, but he knew his dad would have loved it.

He had barely finished the first two lines of John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" when Mr. Ryan stopped him.

"Please, dear god stop. It's not terrible, but I can't listen to that. Reminds me of that assbackward town I grew up in."

Kurt immediately stopped singing and turned bright red as his classmates were laughing in the back.

"Try some classic rock next time Kurt, okay," his teacher suggested and Kurt nodded frantically before heading to the back of the classroom.

Santana was looking at him, as if he had suddenly grown a second head, but Brittany kissed him on the cheek and told him her offer to make out with him was still good. Well, at least someone had enjoyed that trainwreck.

* * *

In terms of getting to talk to Blaine, Vocal Explosion rehearsal wasn't much help either, because before he could go and talk to Blaine, Chandler cornered him and steered him away from the main group.

It wasn't that Kurt didn't enjoy compliments, but at that moment he would rather talk to Blaine, who kept glaring in their direction, instead of listening to the top 100 cheesiest pickup lines Chandler was using on him.

He finally managed to escape when Alyson arrived and they got in formation for Pink's "Raise your glass", lead this time by Blaine and Wes. At least he didn't have to watch Sebastian flirt with Blaine during a song again.

* * *

Blaine had sort of been avoiding Kurt, because he dreaded the talk Kurt wanted to have with him, but when he saw Chandler talk to Kurt in a corner he still saw red again. Why couldn't Chandler just move on to his next victim? There were plenty of other freshman boys and girls around – not that he wanted any of them to get hurt either.

So far Kurt had turned down Chandler, and he hoped Kurt was strong enough to resist his charm – because sure, Chandler could be charming when he had a goal in mine – but he knew from experience that a lot of people gave in, when Chandler persistently pursued them, just to get hurt in the end.

In some way, he had been lucky that Sebastian was interested in him, because it had kept Chandler away and Sebastian did accept a no when it counted. He still flirted with him all the time and kept making lewd innuendos, but at least he had never touched Blaine against his will, as Chandler had done with Kurt.

So maybe he had to stop avoiding Kurt – again – and listen to what he wanted to say, before trying to warn Kurt about Chandler – again.

* * *

Kurt was already sitting at a table in the corner of the Lima Bean when Blaine arrived, and pushed a steaming cup of coffee in his direction.

"I hope I got your order right," Kurt mumbled, blushing adorably. "You didn't have to buy me coffee Kurt," Blaine told him as he sat down opposite Kurt.

"You paid the last two times," Kurt reminded him before he looked down to his cup and fiddles with the lid.

"Why did you want to meet me here?" Blaine asked after a few moments of silence. "Not that I'm not happy to have coffee with you, but your messaged sounded rather urgent."

Blaine could see that Kurt was steeling himself for the answer and Blaine hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. It just wasn't possible. What came out of Kurt's mouth then, was not at all what Blaine had expected.

"I saw Sebastian make out with a boy last week," Kurt nearly whispered. Blaine was confused. Did Kurt like Sebastian now? The few times Kurt and Sebastian had been in the same room he had caught Kurt glaring at him, but maybe he had misinterpreted the situation.

"Well if you like Sebastian, I guess he's a better choice than Chandler, because he at least can keep his hands to himself," Blaine offered after taking a sip from his own coffee.

Now it was Kurt's turn to look confused.

"You wouldn't mind if I liked your boyfriend? Not that I do," Kurt exclaimed, looking rather shocked.

Why would Kurt think Sebastian was his boyfriend? Sebastian didn't usually hit on him in public because he didn't want anyone to see him getting rejected but maybe Kurt had misinterpreted Sebastian's flirting during one of their Vocal Explosion numbers? Or maybe someone had told Kurt they were dating? But no, that couldn't be it, because most people in their social circle were aware that Blaine wasn't interested in Sebastian's advances.

"Kurt, Sebastian is not my boyfriend. I don't like him at all. Did someone tell you we are dating?" He had to know if Sebastian or someone else was spreading rumors.

Kurt unfortunately wasn't answering his question at first. "You are not?" Blaine shook his head. "And you never have?" Blaine shook his head again.

Kurt then suddenly jumped up and grabbed his bag before running toward the exit.

"Kurt, where are you going?" Blaine called after him. Kurt stopped for a moment at the door and he looked angry when he looked back in Blaine's direction. "I have to talk to Chandler," was all Kurt said before running out of the coffee shop.

It took him a moment to process what Kurt had just said, but when he did he was furious. He couldn't wait to confront Chandler as well because he had some choice words for the lying bastard. But with any luck, Kurt would take care of it, if the look in his eyes as he left was any indication.

* * *

**Up Next:** 1x04: Out of time

larissa09: Well, as you probably can guess, I love Spring Awakening too :) I so wish Lindsay had won TGP because having both Harmony and Rachel in ND would have been amazing.

stadler23:  Always hated Blaine's mentor attitude. I might have bought it when we still assumed Blaine was older, but now that he's apparently younger - just no.

ViennaGleek:  Yea, a fellow Viennese :) OMG, we do share a brain ;)

AlexandraGreyson: One of my OCs totally shares your last name ;) Hope you liked my cast list


	5. 1x04: Out of time

**AN: **This is a little late, but I only came back into the country yesterday and had little time to write last week. I'm hoping to have the next one up on Tuesday, but I can't promise it.

**Warning: **People not accepting no means no.

* * *

**1x04: Out of time**

Kurt nearly ran all the way back to his dorm from the Lima Bean in his hurry to find Chandler, but once he reached the school he realized that he neither knew Chandler's room number nor did he have his phone number.

He wandered around aimlessly for a while, not wanting to ask anyone for the senior's room number because he didn't want anyone to think he was there for any other reason than talk. When half an hour had passed and he still hadn't found the older boy he gave up and decided to just find Chandler the next morning during breakfast.

Back in his empty dorm room – apparently Jeff was out again – he tried to analyze Blaine's behavior, while doing his moisturizing routine. Blaine did seem angry when he found out about the lie but Kurt didn't understand why it would bother Blaine so much, if Kurt was the only one in school who thought they were dating.

Some times when he and Blaine were together it almost seemed like Blaine was flirting with him, and now that he knew that Blaine was single he was pretty sure he did. But then why didn't he just ask Kurt out on a date? Why didn't he intervene when Chandler made his move? Or maybe telling Kurt that Chandler was a bad idea was making a move and he just didn't get it because he had never dated before.

Once he was done with his moisturizing routine he decided to call it a night early and laid down with the newest copy of Vogue but he couldn't really concentrate because he still couldn't get Blaine and Chandler out of his head.

It was all so confusing and he needed to talk to both Chandler and Blaine soon to make sense of it. He just had to find the courage to do it.

* * *

Blaine sat frozen in his seat at the Lima Bean when Kurt ran off but when he came back to his senses he quickly followed the younger boy. When he reached the school, Kurt was nowhere in sight though and so he went straight up to the forth floor and knocked on Chandler's door.

When the older boy opened the door, Chandler seemed surprised to see him, but he quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression.

"Well, who do we have here? I'm sorry Blainers but Sebastian isn't here. He hopefully finally realized you aren't worth the trouble," he drawled and Blaine fought the urge to punch him.

"Why did you lie to Kurt and told him I was dating Sebastian?" he went straight to the point not wanting to delay the inevitable conversation and hoping he would catch Chandler of guard.

"Don't tell me you are jealous?" Chandler asked with a knowing smirk, and Blaine quickly tried to deny it, but the look on Chandler's face told him he wasn't very successful.

"You know, if you wanted him you should have made a move after you rudely interrupted us at the party. It's not my fault you missed your chance." Blaine flinched because he knew Chandler was right; at least a bit. If he wanted to keep Chandler from Kurt, all he had to do was ask Kurt out himself, because he was pretty sure, Kurt would say yes.

"Just leave him alone, okay. Why don't you go after someone your own age for once," he practically growled but Chandler just laughed in his face.

"And miss out on his delicious innocence," he leaned in closer to Blaine and whispered, "I can't wait to corrupt him." That's when Blaine lost his cool and punched Chandler in his face just to shut him up.

Before the two of them could get into a real fight however, a hall monitor pulled Blaine back, and before he knew it he found himself in the principle's office, refusing to explain why he punched Chandler because he was afraid the principle would find out about the party.

He was lucky he only got suspended for three days, probably because another student had sworn Chandler had provoked Blaine. What sucked however was that he wouldn't get to see Kurt till the first Spring Awakening rehearsal because he had to stay in his room during his suspension.

* * *

After breakfast the next morning Kurt still hadn't seen Chandler and Blaine hadn't been at breakfast either. He shrugged it off and focused on getting through his boring morning classes before he and Santana had to present their Shakespeare scene in class after lunch.

They were the last to go and Kurt could see that Santana had been right – most pairs had picked a scene from Romeo and Juliet. His class mates weren't necessarily bad, but at times it was hard not to burst out laughing at their over exaggerated exclamations. Kurt tried to convince himself that he and Santana had fared slightly better, but one look at Ms Corcoran told him that they probably sucked as well.

"If either of you is interested in joining the production of A midsummer night's dream, I would suggest that you go for tech work right now. But don't worry, I'll get you there," the teacher told the group once they had all finished their performances.

"Now for next week I want you to prepare a contemporary monologue, so I can see how you deal with that. Let's say 1990s onwards but no musicals. I want to see you act for this one," Ms. Corcoran went on and Kurt's face fell a little, because while he knew a lot of contemporary musicals, plays weren't really his forte. It seemed like another trip to the library was in order.

Before he could leave though Santana caught up with him and stopped him.

"Did you finally tell the hobbit about meerkat face?" she asked and Kurt had to admit that Sebastian's new nickname was quite fitting. He nodded and told her about the conversation in the Lima Bean.

"Hijo de puta. If you want I can go all Bronx on him. I have razor blades in my hair," the dark haired girl offered as Brittany bounded up to her and linked their hands. Kurt admired for a second how effortless it looked for them before he shook his head. This is something he had to take care of on his own.

"Thanks for the offer San, but I want to deal with him myself. I see you later for VE rehearsal," he told her before walking off to the library. Chandler would be at the rehearsal and Kurt was determined to confront him about the lie.

* * *

Kurt had looked up some contemporary playwrights in the library before he headed over to the auditorium where Alyson was already waiting for them.

"Now that Kurt's here as well, let's begin. First, for those of you who were wondering where one of our lead soloists is – the dumbass has managed to get suspended till Thursday, but promised to be back for rehearsal on Friday.

Kurt looked around to figure out who she was referring to but taller students in front of him blocked his view.

"Now I know Sectionals is still six weeks away, but we are going to start holding auditions for the solo and duet next Monday so use the rest of today's rehearsal to figure out what you want to sing in case you want to audition. You can audition with a duet or a solo and auditions are open to all grades. Good luck," Alyson continued, climbing off the stage once she was finished.

Kurt spotted Chandler in one corner look through sheet music and quickly walked over to him.

"Hey Chandler," Kurt greeted him and Chandler turned slightly. "Hey Kurt, in case you want me to duet with you, I'm sorry but I'm going for a solo."

Chandler finally turned all the way around and Kurt gasped when he spotted the older boy's black eye.

"What happened?" he asked. "Blaine apparently didn't like it when I told him I wanted to ask you out." Blaine had punched Chandler? That must mean he liked Kurt for real then, right? He didn't just make it all up in his head.

"You think I'll go out with you after you lied to me about Blaine and Sebastian?" Kurt narrowed his eyes at Chandler and the other boy at least had the decency to look slightly guilty.

"Look Kurt, about that. I'm sorry I lied, but I was jealous and afraid I would lose you to Blaine if you knew he was single. I really want you to give me a chance here, and I didn't think you'd give me one if you thought Blaine was available."

Kurt mulled it over for a few moments. True, one of the reasons he hadn't tried to go after Blaine was because he thought Blaine was in a relationship, but he also wasn't even sure if Blaine liked him liked him.

"So please let me make it up to you for the bad first impression and let me take you out to dinner this Saturday?" Chandler asked again and Kurt felt his resolve weaken. But before he said yes he had to know how Blaine felt about him.

"I'm not saying no right now, but I need some time to think it over. If you give me your number, I'll text you my answer later."

Kurt handed Chandler his phone so he could put his number in and then hurried over to Wes and David to ask them for Blaine's room number.

He needed to have a serious discussion with Blaine about why it wasn't okay to punch people, because he had experienced enough violence in his life so far.

* * *

Kurt found Blaine's dorm room on the third floor and after taking a few calming breaths he knocked on the door, hoping Blaine's roommate wasn't there.

When Blaine opened the door he looked different than his usually put together self. His was only wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt instead of his usual high water jeans and bow ties, and his hair was gel free, and Kurt felt tempted to run his hair through the curls.

But now was not the time for that. He stepped into the room without waiting for Blaine to invite him in and glared at him.

"Why the hell would you punch Chandler?" Blaine looked like a deer caught in headlights and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering.

"I was just trying to protect you and I didn't like that he lied to you." Kurt could see how much Blaine meant it and his expression softened. Blaine didn't want Kurt around Chandler, and he had to find out if it was for the reason he thought. Courage he told himself.

"You know, I'm glad it was just a lie and you aren't really dating Sebastian," Kurt forced himself to say. Blaine gulped. "You do?" Kurt nodded before stealing him for what he would say next.

"Yes, because I like you as more than a friend." There he said it and there was no way to take it back. Blaine didn't look happy though and Kurt took a step back. Had he just made it all up in his head after all?

"Kurt listen, I don't know what I'm doing here. I've never been in a relationship before and I don't want to ruin what we have now. I really like you and I want to be your friend, but I can't be your boyfriend right now."

Kurt felt tears welling up in his eyes but refused to cry in front of Blaine after he put his heart on the line. He didn't understand. Blaine said he couldn't be his boyfriend, not that he didn't want to. Was he just letting Kurt down easy? He had to get out of the room and away from Blaine and his concerned looking hazel eyes.

He grabbed the doorknob behind him and ran out of the room as soon as he managed to open the door, ignoring Blaine's pleas to please wait. Traitorous tears were running down his face as he made it back to his dorm room where he threw himself face first onto his bed, grateful that Jeff wasn't around much.

* * *

It took Kurt a few hours to calm himself down and a look at his watch told him that he missed dinner and it was already after eight. So he quickly left a note for Jeff and climbed out of the window to pick up some food at a little twenty-four hour diner close to the school.

He was picking at his food while waiting for Mercedes to pick up the phone , because he really needed his best friend's advice right now.

Once she picked up he told her everything that had happened with Blaine and Chandler.

"You know what, maybe you should go out with Chandler. If Blaine is to stupid to ask you out, it's his loss and you should just move on. Besides, it's just a date, if you don't like it don't go out with him again."

He hadn't thought about it like that before, but she was right. It was just a dinner date, nothing to worry about.

"Okay, enough about me. Tell me about McKinley. Any new drama?" Mercedes laughed at the other end of the line.

"Well, for one Sam and I actually won the duet competition because Lindsay bowed out and Rachel and Finn sang a totally inappropriate song. He's taking me out to Breadstix this Friday night," his best friend gushed and Kurt couldn't be happier for her.

"You have to tell me if it's a date, so you can tell me all the details to prepare me for my first date."

"Will do. Rachel threatened to quit again and left to join the school musical and because Lindsay is home sick, Mr. Schue asked one of his old class mates who never graduated to fill in for our Invitational. She's awesome by the way."

Kurt couldn't imagine sharing a classroom with someone who was as old as a teacher, but if Mercedes approved the woman had to be okay.

"So when Rachel heard Lindsay was sick she came back demanding a solo for Invitational, but Mr. Schue had already given it to April. Now we are just hoping she can stay sober till the performance is over, but truth be told, I wouldn't mind filling in if she showed up drunk."

Some days Kurt wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad that he had escape the craziness that was McKinley High School, but then he remembered that he hadn't been called names or shoved into a locker for weeks now, and he remembered why he loved NYADA even though he was exhausted a lot because of rehearsals and homework.

Speaking of homework, he really had to get back and do at least the work that was due the following morning. He was on a scholarship after all and couldn't afford to get bad grades.

He said goodbye to Mercedes and went back to his still empty dorm room thirty minutes before curfew.

After he finished his moisturizing routine he sent a quick text to Chandler telling him he was free on Saturday. The answer came a few seconds later with Chandler telling him to be ready at eight on Saturday. He was still a bit nervous about the date and just hoped he had made the right decision.

* * *

Wednesday was Kurt's first Spring Awakening rehearsal with the school's infamous choreographer Dakota Stanley. He'd only been at NYADA for a few weeks, but he had already heard horror stories about the man. Kurt's only hope was that Mr. Stanley would go easy on him because he was exactly tall yet as well.

The stage was filled with tables and chairs for the first rehearsal of _All that's know_ but Kurt was a bit disappointed that they would only work on choreography and use the Broadway recording instead of singing themselves because mad at Blaine or not, he loved to listen to the other boy sing.

An hour late Kurt was ready to drop. Dakota Stanley was unrelenting and because Kurt was the only freshman without prior dance training he got singled out a lot.

He tried to ignore the insults thrown his way and focused on getting the complicated choreography involving the tables and chairs right.

When they were finally allowed to take a break, Kurt saw Blaine walking over to him and he quickly fled to the boys' bathroom because he wasn't ready to talk to Blaine just yet, after what had happened in his dorm room.

Luckily, Blaine was involved in a discussion with Mr. Stanley when Kurt came back but he nearly ran into Chandler on his way back to the stage.

"Hey, don't listen to him. I think you're doing great. I wish I had been as good as you when I was a freshman." Kurt blushed at the compliment before he spotted Blaine glaring at Chandler's back.

Not wanting to cause another argument he excused himself to find Nick, his on stage lover, to talk about their private rehearsal schedule.

He was getting angry when he saw Blaine staring again and quickly turned away. Blaine had no right to glare at Chandler after rejecting Kurt. He had his chance after all.

He would just have to avoid Blaine until the whole situation got less awkward.

* * *

Blaine was bored, plain and simple. Yes he was still allowed to go to Spring Awakening rehearsals but other than that he was expected to stay in his dorm until his suspension was over. Which gave him way too much time to think about Kurt's face after Blaine rejected him. But it was for the best.

Just as he was getting closer to convincing himself that he had done the right thing there was a knock on the door and Blaine's best friend Wes stepped into the room.

"You aren't still sulking because you got suspended, are you?" the older boy asked, when he saw Blaine's expression. "Or is this about Kurt?"

Blaine sat up straighter immediately and tried to school his expression so as to not give away how right Wes was with his assumption.

"Why would you think that?" he asked his friend as Wes sat down on his desk chair. Wes rolled his eyes, clearly not happy with Blaine's answer.

"Come on Blaine, you aren't exactly subtle in the way you look at him. Your eyes pretty much light up whenever he comes into the room." Great, Blaine had hoped that he wasn't really that obvious and that others hadn't caught him staring as well.

"It doesn't matter if I like him or not. It's not like I can act on it," he told Wes once it became clear that Wes wouldn't leave until he had his answers.

"And please, pray tell me, why can't you act on it? You told me he likes you too." Blaine nodded, secretly regretting that he had told Wes about Kurt's confession.

"He's a freshman who had never even had a boyfriend," Blaine informed his friend, hoping Wes would understand why he couldn't make a move. Clearly Wes had other ideas though because he immediately countered with his own argument.

"Well, neither have you, unless you count making out with the same guy more than once." Okay, fine. So he wasn't an expert when it came to relationships either, but he was definitely more experienced that Kurt was, who had said himself that he wasn't even out.

"But I'm a junior," he said instead of starting a discussion about his definition of relationships. "Yes, but didn't you say he's fifteen. That's not so bad," Wes answered, clearly intent on getting Blaine together with Kurt. But it was hard enough to come up with reasons why he couldn't, so he didn't need Wes to try and convince him as well.

"And I'll be seventeen in February," he answered quickly, hoping to get Wes to leave before he did something stupid like ask Kurt out on a date after all.

"You're barely one and a half years older," Wes reminded him and Blaine knew that in a few years the age difference wouldn't matter at all. But for him it mattered right now.

"He needs a friend more than a boyfriend," Blaine argued knowing that his arguments were getting weaker and he was grasping at straws.

"He needs a boyfriend who won't take advantage of him. He has friends," Wes continued their verbal ping-pong.

"I would never take advantage of him," Blaine immediately said because it was true. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Kurt.

Wes gave him a sad smile and Blaine frowned because he didn't like Wes' expression. "He's not going to wait around for you forever - especially now that he knows you are single."

Blaine felt his heart clench, but that was what he wanted, right? For Kurt to find someone who was right for him. But still he couldn't stop himself. "What do you mean?"

Wes patted his leg before he elaborated. "He might have agreed to go on a date with Chandler after you didn't ask him out after he basically told you he's in love with you. Not even you can be that dense."

"I know what he was saying but I couldn't. It didn't seem right." he forced out while his heart was telling him to run to Kurt this second and tell him how he felt just to get him away from Chandler. Why couldn't Kurt see that the older boy was bad news?

"Well I hope your happy now, because you had your chance and Kurt it seems is not going to wait for you any longer." Wes told him as he left the room and left Blaine alone with his thoughts. He knew he had to stop Kurt somehow, because after what Chandler had said about Kurt, he definitely didn't trust him to treat Kurt right.

He just had to decide how much he was willing to say to keep Kurt safe.

* * *

Bryan Ryan asked Kurt to stay behind after voice class again and Kurt panicked a bit because he had totally forgotten to pick out another song for his assignment. Fortunately, his teacher didn't ask for a new song but handed Kurt some sheet music instead.

"Bohemian Rhapsody?" he asked his eyebrow raised. It wasn't that he didn't like the song, but he just didn't see himself as someone who sang Queen songs.

"After that Melencamp debacle I thought it would be better if I assigned you a song to work on. I want you to perform it on Monday and then will see how you can improve."

Kurt quickly agreed because he could feel his phone buzzing in his bag and he had a feeling it was his dad who he had forgotten to call the last couple of days because he was busy with school and boys.

As soon as he reached the hallway he pulled out his phone to be greeted with his dad's face on the display.

"Hey dad," he answered the call. "Kurt, I know being at a new school in a new city is exciting but we have a deal – you call me every second day. Understood?"

His father sounded more worried than angry and Kurt felt a bit bad that he had neglected his family. He hadn't really talked to Finn since he moved to New York because all he ever wanted to talk about was Rachel and Kurt wasn't exactly her biggest fan. He and Carole at least talked once a week because she wanted to make sure he felt like he was part of the family even if he lived in another state.

"Sorry dad. I just got a bit busy with the school musical and Vocal Explosion," he apologized. His dad sighed.

"And you are sure you are not taking on too much? I want you to have time for a social life as well. You're only fifteen, you don't need to work so hard."

Kurt knew his dad didn't really understand all that art stuff as he called it, but Kurt knew he had to work hard from the beginning if he wanted to make it as a performer.

"Don't worry dad. I made friends here and I even have a date on Saturday." As soon as the words left his mouth it he slapped his hand over it and cursed his lack of filter after another exhausting day.

"A date?" his dad repeated and Kurt gulped. "Yes, her name is Brittany and she's a freshman too. So you have nothing to worry about."

He wished he could just tell his dad the truth but he was still scared of his father's reaction. What if he took Kurt out of school and moved him back to Ohio if he found out?

"What time will you be home?" his dad asked after a moment of silence. Kurt breathed out a sigh of relief when his dad bought his lie and sat down on the floor, his back against the wall.

"Dad, you know we have to be back at ten on weekends." He had no plans to be back so early on Saturday because they would go out for a late dinner, but what his dad didn't know wouldn't hurt Kurt.

"Alright, alright. Go and have fun. But I expect to meet the young lady if you're still seeing her when we come up for Thanksgiving." Well, Kurt had no plans to still be in a fictitious relationship with Brittany when his family visited.

"It's just a first date, dad," he reminded his father, but his dad just chuckled. "You're a nice boy Kurt, anyone would be lucky to date you."

Again Kurt noticed the lack of personal pronouns when his dad talked about Kurt dating, and not for the first time he wondered if his dad didn't have his suspicions about him.

He shoved the thought to the back of his mind and asked his dad to tell him about life in Lima instead. Luckily his dad caught the bait and they chatted about the garage and life at home for a while.

He did miss his family a lot and secretly hoped he didn't have to wait for Thanksgiving to see his dad again, but he knew money was tight and his dad couldn't just hop on a plane whenever he wanted.

So he just promised to call regularly again before heading to the library to finally pick a play for his acting class assignment.

* * *

Kurt had been successfully avoiding Blaine for the past couple of days after completely humiliating himself by confessing his crush on Blaine and promptly getting rejected, but his luck ran out Friday after Vocal Explosion rehearsal.

He was staying back a bit, so he didn't have to talk to either Blaine or Chandler while others where still in the room, but when he made his way to the door, he saw that Blaine was waiting for him, handing him a water bottle as he approached.

At first, Kurt refused to look at Blaine, studying the floor instead.

"Can we talk, Kurt?" Blaine asked when it became clear that Kurt wasn't going to say any thing.

"What's there to talk about?" Kurt shot back. Unless you want to humiliate me further, Kurt thought, still avoiding Blaine's eyes. Blaine's next words caught him by surprise though and he couldn't stop himself from looking up.

"Kurt, please don't go out with him. Have you forgotten the party?" Kurt didn't know what Blaine wanted from him. Why did he care so much who Kurt went out with if he wasn't interested in Kurt in that way?

"He was drunk and acted inappropriately and he apologized for it. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go." If Blaine liked him after all, wouldn't now be the time for Blaine to confess, to stop Kurt from going on a date with another boy.

Blaine's expression was pained but then he squared his shoulders and answered – and all Kurt wanted to do was slap him.

"I don't want you to get hurt; he's a senior." "I don't know why you're so hung up on this age crap but I can take care of myself. I don't need you to baby-sit me." Kurt nearly yelled in Blaine's face. He wasn't a child anymore and he had been dealing with bullies for year, so he knew how to take care of himself.

"Come to the movies with me then," Blaine suddenly suggested, but Kurt didn't want to hear it. He wanted a real date, not another movie night with a guy who flirted with him and then told him they were just friends. He was done with Blaine leading him on, only to be dropped once feelings came into play. At least Chandler was upfront when it came to telling Kurt what he wanted from him.

"No. I've told you how I feel and you shot me down. You don't get to ask me that because someone else is interested in me and you don't like that person. I don't need your pity date."

Kurt didn't wait for Blaine's reply, which would surely just contain more excuses for why they couldn't be together. He was done with Blaine and it was time to move on, before he could hurt him even more.

* * *

Blaine was in the school gym pounding his fists into a boxing sack. He had taken up the sport after he got beaten up at his old school, but he used it mostly for stress relieve nowadays.

He had just wanted to help Kurt, but in the end he had just made it worse, because now Kurt seemed to hate him. And according to Wes it was all his fault, because of his stupid morals. Now Kurt would go out with Chandler who had god knows what plans with Kurt.

There was one last thing he could do though to stop the date and he quickly stripped of his gloves and took a shower before walking over the girls' dorm.

He didn't have to ask around long until someone told him Santana's room number and walked over to her door. He had seen Kurt hang out with the girl a lot and he hoped she was willing to help him.

He knocked on the door and was told to come inside after a moment. Santana and another blond girl, Brittany he remembered, were cuddling on a bed and Santana raised a perfectly styled eyebrow when she caught his expression.

"If you want a show, I'm going to have to charge you for it," she drawled and Blaine could feel his face flush.

"I'm gay," he told her, but she just smirked. "Relax hobbit, we know you are. I've seen the way you look at Kurt." Seriously, was he really that obvious? No wonder Kurt was pissed when he shot him down.

"That's why I'm here actually. I need your help. Kurt has date with Chandler tomorrow night and you have to stop it."

Santana turned back to toying with the blonde's hair and Blaine felt like he was intruding on a private moment.

"I'm sorry hobbit, but if he wants to go out with the lying creep there's nothing I can do to stop it. I am, however, willing to go on a spying mission with you, if you pay for dinner."

Blaine stared at her. "You want me to spy on Kurt's date. Do you want him to hate me even more?"

The dark haired girl just shrugged. "You're worried, Kurt can't handle himself. So take my offer or leave. If you do, pick me up here tomorrow at eight."

Blaine really didn't trust Chandler especially after what he had told Blaine before he punched him and so he agreed in the end, because he needed to know Kurt would be safe. He could deal with Kurt's anger if they got caught.

"Deal," he told her and then quickly left the room when Santana and Brittany started making out on the bed.

* * *

If anyone would ask him, he did not spend three hours trying out all his clothes to find the perfect date outfit. He also didn't spend half an hour on his hair, no matter what Jeff said.

In the end he went with tight black jeans, but not too tight because he didn't want to give Chandler the wrong impression, a white button down and a black vest with intricate patterns and hard to open buttons.

Chandler was already waiting for him in front of the dorms when Kurt came outside and together they started walking in the direction of the restaurant Chandler had picked.

For a moment he thought he saw Blaine and Santana behind him, but he must have imagined it because why would those two hang out alone?

Chandler led him to a nice looking restaurant close to Central Park and Kurt had to admit he was enjoying himself. Chandler was easy to talk to, they liked pretty much the same musicals and the older boy kept complimenting his fashion choices.

As far as first dates went, it was pretty much perfect. And now that he had spent some time with Chandler, he knew that Blaine just didn't want him to go out with Chandler because he was jealous, because the other boy was nothing like he had been at the party. It was Blaine's own fault that Kurt went on his very first date with Chandler instead of Blaine.

After sharing vanilla ice cream for dessert Chandler asked Kurt to come along to a bar where he knew they didn't check IDs, but Kurt declined because he still had a lot of homework to do the next day and he didn't want to have to do it hungover.

Chandler looked disappointed but Kurt knew it was for the best. He had experienced first hand that Chandler and alcohol didn't mix well and he didn't want a repeat of the party.

"Can I at least walk you home?" Chandler asked when Kurt told him again that he really had to get back home.

"That would be nice, thanks," Kurt answered and they left the restaurant together. Before Kurt knew it Chandler had his arm wrapped tightly around Kurt's waist, but even though that was moving a bit fast for him, he didn't say anything because he didn't want Chandler to think he was a baby who'd freak out at every touch.

"You sure you don't want to go anywhere else tonight? It's only eleven," Chandler tried again and that was when Kurt realized they were walking over to Central Park instead of NYADA.

"Where are we going? I told you I wanted to go home," Kurt told Chandler and tried to move away but Chandler just tightened his hold on Kurt.

"Seriously Kurt, I love the whole innocent act but it's getting a bit much. You didn't seriously expect to just go to dinner with me and that's it? I think I should get something out of this date as well."

Shit. He was suddenly really afraid because he didn't know what Chandler would do. Kurt wanted to go home and forget all about it. He should have just listened to Blaine, but he was so happy that someone was finally interested in him and when Blaine rejected him, he couldn't say no.

"Let me go," he told the older boy, trying to push him away, but suddenly found himself pressed against a wall. Chandler grabbed his face and pressed his try lips against Kurt's and Kurt suddenly felt himself transported back into the Lima Middle school locker room in 7th grade.

_Kurt had enough of being pushed around by Dave fucking Karofsky. He had rejoiced at the end of sixth grade because he thought the bully would start high school in the fall together with his other bullies Finn and Noah, but to his shock the jock was back in eight grade at the beginning of the school year and became even more ruthless during the last couple of months and Kurt had enough._

_He picked himself up from the floor, checked that his phone was still working and his clothes didn't rip when he hit the sharp edge of the locker before running after the older boy._

_He found the jock in the empty school locker room and for a moment Kurt considered just turning around and walking away, because the fifteen year old was already quite tall and looked like he weighed twice as much as Kurt, but he squared his shoulders and marched into the locker room._

"_Why can't you just leave me in alone? What have I ever done to you?" he yelled into his bully's face, who looked surprised for a moment before he sneered. _

"_You shouldn't be in here. Girl's locker room is next door." Kurt hated that his bullies called him a girl because just because he liked fashion and hung out mostly with Mercedes didn't mean he wasn't a boy._

"_And you shouldn't even be in this school and I don't care what a dumbass who has to repeat 8th grade thinks," Kurt yelled back, because he was done being a victim._

_He knew he shouldn't aggravate the bully and when he advanced on Kurt he flinched and took a step back only to realize he had backed himself against a row of lockers._

"_You are really hot when you are angry," Karofsky suddenly leered and Kurt froze. "What?" he stuttered out and tried again to get out of the way, but the bully was suddenly right in front of him and before Kurt could stop him, Karofsky grabbed his face and pressed his lips against Kurt's._

_Kurt tried to fight off the jock but he wasn't strong enough and when he felt the other boys tongue trying to find a way into his mouth Kurt panicked and struggled harder but to no avail. _

_Instead of letting go, Karofsky pressed even closer and Kurt tensed up even more when he realized that the older boy was getting turned on by this. Just when he lost all hope that Karofsky would ever let him go, the door of the locker room further away from them opened and Karofsky jumped back as if he got burned._

_Kurt didn't wait around to see who his savior was and sprinted to the other door, barely making it to the girls' bathroom before he emptied his stomach._

Chandler's lips on his neck brought him back to the present and he realized that he must have stood frozen in shock for a while because Chandler seemed to think he was enjoying this, completely ignoring Kurt's lack of participation.

This couldn't be happening again, Kurt thought and he finally unfroze and tried to move away.

"Chandler please," he pleaded as he tried to turn his face away, but Chandler just licked his earlobe and whispered, "I like it when they beg."

God, he was so stupid; he hadn't listened to any warnings and now he would get a repeat of the locker room and who knew if someone would come along to help him this time or if he was at Chandler's mercy unless he managed to get free himself.

* * *

ViennaGleek: Looking forward to the Whedon film as well. Hope you're not disappointed Kurt forgave Chandler at first, but he is still naïve and wants to see the best in people and give them a second chance.

AlexandraGreyson: I'm afraid Blaine's head is still in his ass, but hopefully Wes got through to him.

SilverWhiteDragon: I might have already answered you, but I forgot. Sorry. It's not exactly a Karofskyesque retaliation, because Chandler truly believes everyone falls for him and no one would reject him.

Larissa09: Unfortunately, Blaine's still stubborn but hopefully he changes his mind soon.

Stadler23: Finally managed to introduce Dakota Stanley. He will definitely not be a Kurt fan. Mercedes is my "weekly update" for all things ND ;)

Miss Jayne 76: Thanks. First, baby spice has a radio show? Sounds hilarious. The furthest I got Shakespeare wise was the Globe theater… Chandler needs to go and fast because forcing Kurt to make out with him because he paid for dinner is not okay. I try to write it like episodes of a tv show so I had to do longer chapters.


	6. 1x05: Baggage

**AN: **I'm sorry this is late but my only excuse is that I was kind of depressed this week because I got rejected for 6 jobs and I couldn't force myself to write after that. But Glee is online at 4am and I wanted to at least finish one chapter before I watch it.

* * *

**1x05: Baggage**

At eight o' clock, Saturday night, Blaine was picking Santana up as promised in front of her dorm room and together they made their way to the front door where they quickly had to duck behind a huge plant when Kurt suddenly turned around.

He was afraid he'd already been busted, but Kurt shrugged and turned to leave with Chandler. Santana had found out the name of the restaurant from Kurt and so they followed with about a block's distance between them.

Once the reached the restaurant they spotted Kurt and Chandler seating in a secluded corner and Santana quickly charmed a waiter into getting them a table at the other side where they would have a good few without being seen themselves.

As soon as they were seated, Santana grabbed the menu and Blaine was glad she was occupied with food, because for one he had no idea what to talk to her about, and secondly his eyes were trained onto Kurt who was laughing at something Chandler must have said.

About an hour into the dinner, Blaine started to regret having brought Santana with him, when the girl ordered her third dessert because she didn't like the first two. This whole spying on Kurt's date thing was turning into a quite expensive platonic date for him.

"I'm out," Santana suddenly announced, her ice cream only half eaten. "What? But they are still here," Blaine told her getting a bit annoyed.

"And clearly nothing's happening. Porcelain seems to have a good time. So are you coming or staying."

Blaine thought for a moment. Kurt did look like he was having fun and even though it hurt him that it was Chandler he was having fun with; that had been what he wanted for Kurt. But then again, he still didn't trust the senior with Kurt alone. Who knew where he was dragging him off to after dinner.

"I'm staying," he told her quietly, not wanting to be caught this far in. "Whatever hobbit." Santana tossed her black hair over her shoulder and left Blaine sitting on his own behind another large plant in the restaurant.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long until he saw Kurt and Chandler get up to leave, but he was delayed a bit when he tried to pay his own bill, so he only caught a glimpse of Kurt as he and Chandler went around a corner that led them away from their school.

He hurried to catch up with them, but a lot of people were still outside on the nice Satdurday night and at a few intersections Blaine was sure he had lost them, before he spotted Kurt's blue scarf disappear in the distance again.

He had a bad feeling about Chandler's intentions and it only intensified when he realized that Chandler was steering Kurt toward a section of Central Park that wasn't well traveled during the night.

Breaks screeched next to him as he ran across a street without looking and the moment it took him to calm down the driver he lost Kurt again. When he finally reached the intersection he had last seen them at he couldn't spot them in either direction. Acting only on instinct he turned right toward the park.

When he rounded the corner he froze though because a few houses down, on a dimly lit street, Kurt was being pinned to a wall by Chandler who had his mouth on Kurt's neck and judging by Kurt's expression and the way he was struggling in Chandler's hold, he wasn't enjoying it one bit.

As soon as he moved past his shock he started running toward Kurt to save him, when Kurt suddenly managed to push Chandler away and a resounding slap echoed through the street.

"Stay away from me," Blaine heard Kurt yell before he ran in Blaine's direction and straight into Blaine's arms. In that moment, Blaine finally understood what Wes had meant. Kurt didn't need Blaine as a mentor who would protect him from all the bad out there, because Kurt could take care of himself.

He pulled his arms tightly around Kurt's shaking body and shot a death glare in Chandler's direction who was rubbing his cheek and glaring at Kurt, who fortunately had his face hidden in Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine narrowed is eyes even further and Chandler finally got the message and took off in the other direction.

"Come on, let's get some coffee or tea at the Lima Bean," he told Kurt. "Unless you want to go back to your dorm right now?"

Kurt shook his head and slowly untangled himself from Blaine.

They walked together in silence at first, because Blaine wanted to wait for Kurt to say something about what had happened.

"Aren't you going to tell me I told you so," Kurt finally broke the silence when they were only a block away from the Lima Bean.

Blaine shook his head. "All that matters to me, is that you're safe now," he assured the younger boy, who seemed relieved that Blaine wasn't going to lecture him. But Blaine had no intention of doing that, because if he wanted him and Kurt to work some day, he had to stop treating him like a child.

Inside the coffee shop, Blaine told Kurt to grab a table for them while he got their usual coffees, considering what he wanted to say to Kurt while he waited.

"Why where you there?" Kurt asked when Blaine sat down and Blaine suddenly found his napkin very interesting.

"I, I followed you because of something Chandler said to me about you," he finally admited, but Kurt didn't seem mad.

"I guess whatever he said caused you to punch him, not what he told me," Kurt wondered out loud and Blaine gave him a guilty smile, because he knew Kurt hadn't been too happy that he had punched Chandler.

"Why didn't you tell me what he said?" Kurt continued his interrogation and Blaine decided, that after everything that had happened tonight so far, he could safely tell Kurt the truth.

"I thought you wouldn't believe me and would accuse me of lying because I didn't want you to go out with him," Blaine admitted.

Kurt studied his face for a few seconds and Blaine felt his cheeks heat up. Kurt must have noticed because he blushed as well, before looking serious again.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you warned me about Chandler. At first I thought you had ulterior motives and when that wasn't true, I thought you just didn't like him and wanted to screw things up for us."

Oh, Blaine had had ulterior motives, but he had been too much of a coward to act on them.

"Are you okay?" he asked instead of commenting on what Kurt had said.

Kurt dropped his eyes and stared at his coffee. "Can we not talk about this tonight, please? I promise we'll talk soon, but not tonight," Kurt pleaded and Blaine quickly agreed.

"One other question though," Blaine told him and took a deep breath while reminding himself to have courage.

"Would you consider singing a duet with me for the Sectionals auditions. We could spend more time together because of practice," he asked Kurt who was looking at him with his expressive eyes again and blushed.

To his surprise however, Kurt shook his head and Blaine tried not to let Kurt see how much his rejection hurt him.

"I think I need to focus on myself right now, because tonight taught me that I was so desperate for a date that I ignored all warnings just to be able to have a first date," Kurt confessed and Blaine felt a bit better because Kurt wasn't rejecting him, because he suddenly didn't like Blaine anymore.

"I still want to hang out with you though, because I do want to get to know you better, but right now, everything you'd offer would feel too much like a pity date for me," Kurt went on, keeping his eyes trained on the coffee in front of him.

Blaine wanted to pull Kurt back into his arms and kiss him senseless to prove that a date with him would never be out of pity, but he knew he had to respect Kurt's wishes, especially after what had happened with Chandler.

"So we'll just have our regular Sunday coffee tomorrow and talk. Is that what you want?" Blaine asked Kurt, wanting to make sure he and Kurt were on the same page.

Kurt gave him a small smile that seemed to brighten the room and Blaine took his hand to pull him off his chair.

"Come on, let's go back to the dorms before someone realizes you're missing." Blaine offered his arm to Kurt in an exaggerated gesture but Kurt just laughed and linked their arms together.

Kurt's carefree laugh, even after the day he had, was becoming Blaine's favorite thing, and this time he wouldn't let Kurt slip away from him. But he would do it right, because Kurt deserved romance.

Maybe getting to know each other better wasn't such a bad idea before Blaine asked Kurt out again. Because of that he was certain – he wanted to take Kurt out on a date when they were both ready.

* * *

Kurt was abruptly woken up by Lady Gaga blaring from his phone Sunday morning and he hurried to shut off his alarm when he realized that someone was calling him.

"Make it stop," Jeff, who hadn't been back when Kurt returned to the room, groaned and Kurt quickly grabbed his bathrobe and went out into the hallway.

"Finally," Mercedes greeted him, once he picked up his phone en route to the cafeteria for some much needed coffee.

"Cedes, why are you calling this early?" Kurt asked his best friend who sounded way too chipper this early in the morning.

"It's after nine. Long night?" Mercedes teased and Kurt grimaced. Long night indeed, but not the way Mercedes interpreted it.

"Fine, so it isn't that early, but still why couldn't you wait to call at a decent time?"

Kurt reached the mostly empty cafeteria and made a beeline for the coffee maker.

"Boo, you promised to text me after your date and you never did, so I had to call to find out how it was." Finally the machine stopped and Kurt picked up his cappuccino and carried it over to a table in the corner.

"Forget about my date, tell me about yours," Kurt tried to deflect. Mercedes had already told him the day before that Sam had agreed to call their dinner at Breadstix a date, but he was sure she would love to tell him all the details.

"Nice try, white boy. We went to Breadstix, he drove me home and kissed me on the cheek in front of my house. Done. Now tell me about your big New York date."

Kurt sighed. He really didn't want to tell her about Chandler's actions but he told her nearly everything, at least when he was sure she'd keep it a secret.

"Remember what I told you about Karofsky when I was in the hospital," he asked her, hoping he wouldn't have to tell her any details and she would figure out what happened herself.

"Yeah. What does that have to do with your date?" she asked, sounding a bit worried.

"It kind of happened again," Kurt admitted and when he heard Mercedes shocked gasp he quickly assured her he was all right. "I pushed him away and slapped him. It was quite satisfying."

"And you're sure you're okay? Because if I have to I will find a way to come up to New York and show that ass his place." Kurt smiled as he imagined Mercedes going after Chandler.

"I'll be fine. I have friends here who care about me," Kurt assured his best friend because he didn't want her to worry about him. Truth be told, he wasn't too sure yet how he felt about the incident, but he needed some time to figure it out by himself.

"I'm glad to hear that and I can't wait to meet them," Mercedes interrupted his musings and Kurt sat up straighter.

"Does that mean…?" he trailed off and was met with a squeal. "My parents decided to let me come to your premiere as long as I'm back home in time for Thanksgiving."

"That's amazing," Kurt told her and meant it. Mercedes had been his only friend for years and even though he was making friends fast at NYADA, no one knew him as well as she did and he was sure some things would be easier to handle if he had Mercedes with him.

They talked on the phone a while longer and after Kurt had assured her again that he was relatively fine he finally got her to gush about her date with Sam, and Kurt who had relocated to one of the common rooms after the conversation topic moved away from Chandler, settled back into an armchair and listened as his best friend recounted every minute of the date.

He felt a twinge of jealousy for a second, because her first date sounded perfect compared to his, but he quickly squashed it because Mercedes deserved to be happy as much as him.

A look at his watch reminded that he needed to get started on his morning routine if he wanted to get some lunch before his coffee non-date with Blaine and so he said goodbye to Mercedes after promising her to keep her updated on the Blaine front.

He was about to hang up when Mercedes stopped him. "You know, I admire you for your decision. If the guy I liked offered to sing a duet with me so we could spend more time in private together, I'm not sure I could have said no."

"It wasn't easy," Kurt conceded, "but I think I really should get to know him better before I make another rash decision and maybe if he gets to know me better as well, he'd want to take me out on a real date in the future."

Kurt definitely had his fingers crossed for that, because just because he'd given up on Blaine at the moment most certainly didn't know he wasn't interested in him anymore.

* * *

Sunday afternoon found Kurt waiting for Blaine at their usual table at the Lima Bean. They hadn't made plans to go there together and so Kurt had just walked around the neighborhood for a bit after lunch to pass time till three o'clock.

Blaine arrived punctually and sent Kurt a dazzling smile when he spotted the second coffee in front of the empty chair facing Kurt's.

"You know my coffee order?" Blaine asked after he sat down and took a sip of the coffee Kurt had gotten him.

Kurt blushed and quickly nodded before fiddling with the scarf around his neck.

"Are you ready to talk to me about Saturday?" Blaine asked when it became clear that Kurt wasn't going to start the conversation. Kurt really didn't want to, but he supposed it would be good if he told someone what had happened exactly.

He quickly recounted the nice dinner they had had and Chandler's invitation to go to a bar afterward which Kurt had declined. Kurt knew that Blaine had followed them, so he only filled him on the things Blaine couldn't have seen.

When he reached the point where Chandler had pinned him against a wall, he saw Blaine ball his hands into fists and he considered for a moment if he should even continue.

In the end he settled on hinting that he was really upset because he'd been in a similar situation before and left it at that. Blaine thankfully didn't push the issue because Kurt wasn't ready to tell him all the sordid details from his past.

"You really should tell your dad about this?" Blaine told him after he returned with two fresh coffees and Kurt immediately shook his head.

"I can't. I told him I went out on a date with Brittany and promised him I'd be safe. What if he's going to hate me when he finds out I'm gay. He has Finn and Carole now, but if he doesn't accept me I would have no one."

That was his biggest fear. That his dad would just replace him with Finn because he liked all the stuff his dad liked as well and didn't cause problems like Kurt did.

"What about your mom? Do you think she'd be supportive?" Blaine asked after giving Kurt's hand a quick squeeze.

Kurt didn't like talking about his mom, because he didn't want people to feel sorry for him, but he wanted to tell Blaine the truth.

"She died when I was eight, but I think she would have been," he explained, keeping his emotions out of his voice. His mom had been dead for nearly as many years as Kurt had spent with her, but it still hurt to think about it on some days.

Blaine gave him a sad smile but refrained from telling Kurt he was sorry which Kurt appreciated.

"My parents are divorced," Blaine told him instead. "My dad, he wasn't too happy when I came out, but my mom couldn't handle it and left us. My dad tells me it's not my fault and that they've been growing apart since before I was born, but I'm sure that's not true."

Apparently he wasn't the only one who had baggage in the form of his family.

"How does your dad feel about it now?" Kurt asked because he knew it was probably pointless to try and convince Blaine his parents' divorce wasn't his fault.

Blaine fiddled with the lid of his coffee before he looked up, a pained smile on his face.

"I know he loves me, but he's become distant since I came out. It's like he thinks I'm suddenly this completely different person and he doesn't know how to deal with me any more. But he let me transfer here when things at school got really bad, so I know he loves me and I'm sure your dad does too, because otherwise he wouldn't have left you move across the country for school."

Kurt nodded. He had never questioned his father's love for him, but he was afraid to lose that when he came out.

"Thanks for telling me that," Kurt told Blaine who shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "You told me something about your life, so it's only fair to tell you some things about mine."

Once they were done talking about the heavy topics, they went back to talk about the things the usually talked about when they got coffee and it didn't take long for Kurt to forget all about Chandler and the disastrous date.

At least he did until his dad called him and Kurt excused himself to take the call, telling Blaine he'd see him Monday afternoon for the Sectionals auditions.

* * *

"Hey kiddo, how's your Sunday?" his dad asked when Kurt picked up the phone outside the Lima Bean.

"It's good, but I'm sure that's not what you want to talk about?" Kurt told his dad, rolling his eyes. His dad didn't really know he to be subtle.

"You got me. Now tell me about your date." Kurt sighed. He should never have told his dad about it in the first place, because he had to lie to his dad again.

"It was fine. We went out for dinner and then I walked her back to her dorm. I don't think we'll be going out again though. I don't think we really clicked."

"That's okay, Kurt. There's someone out there for you and when the time is right, you'll find the right person."

"Thanks, dad," Kurt told him, wondering not for the first time why his dad never told him he'd meet the right girl instead of the right person.

"So, I spoke to Kate and she's going to visit you next Sunday. Said she wants to see for herself if you're doing okay."

Kurt unlocked his door and waved at Jeff who was bouncing on his bed wearing headphones.

"And how did you get her to come here and spy for you?" Kurt teased his dad who was quickly trying to deny the accusation but Kurt just laughed.

"It's okay, dad. I'd love to introduce her to some of my friends. Tell her to text me when she's in town. But I got to go now. I still have homework and I need to work on a song for an audition tomorrow afternoon," Kurt informed his father, and after promising to call again soon, they both hung up and Kurt tried to focus on his homework and on the song he hadn't had time to rehearse yet.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon found Kurt and Blaine at the Lima Bean again, and this time Blaine managed to get there early again, so he picked up coffee for Kurt and himself and added some cookies he hoped to split with Kurt.

Kurt looked gorgeous as always when he arrived at the coffee shop, wearing tight stripped trousers and a deep burgundy dress shirt under another fabulous vest.

"Please don't be mad at me," Blaine immediately told him as soon as he sat down, and Kurt raised one of his perfect eyebrows at Blaine. "I told Wes and David about what happened with Chandler, because they know him the longest and I don't want him to get away with his behavior."

"You what?" Kurt nearly yelled and Blaine flinched because angry Kurt was scary.

"I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do after you told me you didn't want to tell your dad. We all agree that you should at least tell the school because we fear you are not the first one Chandler might have coerced into hooking up with him."

Kurt looked at him incredulously, but at least he was still listening instead of getting up and leaving.

"I can't tell the school, tell would tell my dad." "Maybe, but they wouldn't tell him any details because that would mean outing you," Blaine tried to assure him but Kurt just shook his head.

"I was out after curfew and I'm sure that Chandler would tell them he met me at a college party if they confronted him. I'm pretty sure my dad would pull me out of school if he found out if I didn't get expelled."

Kurt had a point there. Chandler would definitely be in trouble as well if it came out that he was drinking, but the senior was eighteen and might have even managed to get back in time for his curfew.

"Alright, don't tell the school, but we're keeping an eye on him to make sure he leaves you alone from now on. And don't argue. I know you can take care of yourself, but I don't trust him."

Kurt looked like was gearing up to fight Blaine, but than he just sank back into his chair and nodded.

"It's not that I don't want you to look out for me, but it's just so strange because I never had anyone apart from my friend Mercedes before who was interested in my well-being," he admitted and Blaine have him a sympathetic smile.

He had lost most of his friends as well when he came out to one of his friends who had promptly outed him to the whole school and the only guy who still wanted to hang out with him was Jake, the only other out guy at school.

They had gone out on a few dates after Blaine came out and had even kissed a little, but they both had quickly decided that they would be better off as friends. His parents had moved him to another school as well after they got beaten up and nowadays their contact was limited to the occasional Facebook messages.

"Don't act so surprised. Just because we're different doesn't mean we don't deserve to have friends. It might have taken transferring to NYADA to remind me of that as well, but I don't even want you to doubt whether you have friends here or not."

Blaine saw Kurt discreetly wipe away a tear and Blaine excused himself to the restroom to give the younger boy a chance to compose himself.

He did understand Kurt's emotions and so he was hell-bent to show Kurt that he was loved at NYADA and that he wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

Kurt tried to ignore the way Blaine's friends and Jeff were looking at him through out the day because Blaine had assured him they weren't judging him and were only concerned about his safety.

He had caught Chandler giving him dirty looks during the past few days, but the older boy kept his distance because Kurt was always surrounded by other people who just happened to be in the same place as him.

He was excited for the musical rehearsal that afternoon because it would be the first time that he would fully perform his scene with Nick. The auditorium was empty apart from Blaine, who was running lines with Sunshine in the back, and Ms Corcoran and the piano player.

They went through the blocking again and got into position when Ms Corcoran told them so. Everything went fine until Nick leaned in to kiss him and Kurt suddenly flashed back into the locker room and the dimly lit street Saturday night. Before Nick's lips could touch his, he pushed the other boy away and ran out of the auditorium, ignoring Nick and Ms Corcoran who were calling after him.

Kurt ran into the closest bathroom and started dry heaving on his knees in front of the toilet but nothing did come up. He was so angry with himself because he had allowed Karofsky and Chandler to ruin the scene for him.

Before he could beat himself up some more, he felt a hand stroke his back and even though his first instinct was to flinch away, he leaned into the touch when Blaine spoke up.

"Nick explained to Ms Corcoran that you were a bit nervous and she told him you should rehearse the scene in private before your next official rehearsal."

Kurt didn't think that the setting was the problem, but he was glad to get a short reprieve so he could figure out how to deal with his problem.

He accepted Blaine's hand and let himself be pulled back onto his feet and let himself be guided out of the bathroom. Blaine never let go of his hand until they stopped in front of what Kurt assumed was Blaine's room.

Inside, Blaine finally released his hand and gestured to Kurt to sit down on one of the beds. Once Kurt was seated, Blaine rolled over his desk chair and sat down opposite Kurt.

"You want to talk about it?" Blaine asked and Kurt wanted to shake his head. Instead he took a deep breath before telling Blaine his story.

"It's just that I've never experienced a consensual kiss before," he started and at Blaine's questioning look, he elaborated.

"When I started middle school, the older kids started bullying me. One of my first bullies is now my stepbrother and the other is his best friend who his nice to me now as well, but there was a third. Dave Karofsky. At first he was just pushing me around a bit, calling me names, throwing stuff at me in class and he got a bunch of his friends to join in on it."

Kurt accepted a tissue from Blaine before he continued.

"He was two years older than me and when I finished 6th grade I was relieved because that meant he would be in high school the following year. But he came back because he had to repeat eight grade. As soon as 7th grade started he got worse. He kept staring at me, following me around and sometimes he would run his hand over my arm and leer at me. I just though it was his new tactic to freak me out and one day I couldn't take it any longer and followed him into the locker room."

Kurt took another deep breath and suddenly Blaine took his hands into his again. Kurt gave him a grateful smile.

"We traded insults for a bit, but then he suddenly pushed me against some locker and kissed me. I tried to get away from him but he was so much taller and heavier that I was so I couldn't do anything and he just wouldn't let me go and he was enjoying it." Kurt blushed when he said that, but then powered on.

"I got lucky that someone came into the locker room at that point because he ran away from me and for a few weeks he left me alone. But then he started threatening me, so I would keep quiet. I hadn't even planned to tell anyone because who would believe the school freak over one of the popular guys?"

"Is that why you came here?" Blaine asked as Kurt wiped his face with the tissue. He hadn't even realized that he started crying when he was telling Blaine about his past. He shook his head.

"I made it through 7th grade and then he was gone and I thought that was it. I could deal with the other students harassing me, because after that I honestly didn't care about the name calling anymore. But he would show up in front of school from time to time to make sure I still kept quiet. Close to the end of the school year he threatened to kill me again if told someone when I started at his high school as well and I had enough, so I told him I'd tell my dad if he didn't leave me alone in the future. It was an empty threat, but he didn't know that and he pushed me against a dumpster hard enough that I ended up in the hospital because I had to get stitches. At that point I had already applied to NYADA, but my dad was hesitant to let me go, but after that incident my dad agreed because he feared for my safety. Mercedes had witnessed the whole thing but his friends gave him an alibi and so nothing happened to him. My dad knew that I would have to go to school with him, if he didn't let me come here and so I moved here to get away from him."

Blaine was still holding his hand, his thumb brushing over Kurt's knuckles in a soothing manner, and Kurt felt relieved to finally have told someone the whole story. Mercedes knew most of it because he had told her in the hospital, but he had never told anyone the details of what had happened in the locker room.

"Can I give you a hug?" Blaine asked and Kurt immediately agreed. He felt safe in the other boy's arms because he knew Blaine meant him no harm.

"What am I going to do about Nick?" Kurt wondered once Blaine released him.

"I don't know, but I think you should tell him why you freaked out. And maybe just keep your eyes open for now, so you know it's him."

Kurt nodded, because that sounded like a good idea, even though he dreaded having to tell yet another person about Chandler. He had no intentions to tell anyone apart from Blaine about his middle school bully.

"You know what? Why don't I get us some popcorn and ice cream and we can watch a movie. Your pick," Blaine offered and Kurt started looking through Blaine's DVDs while the older boy went down to the kitchen for some comfort food.

When Blaine returned, Kurt had already put When Harry met Sally into Blaine's laptop and was standing in the middle of the room not knowing where he should sit.

"If it doesn't make you uncomfortable we can both sit on my bed," Blaine offered and Kurt quickly nodded before sitting up against the headboard. Blaine sat down next to him, trying to put as much distance between them as was possible on a twin bed, though Kurt wouldn't have minded to sit closer.

Half an hour into their second movie he felt his eyes close and he wanted to get up and go back to his room, but before he knew it he had fallen asleep with his head on Blaine's shoulder.

* * *

Blaine breathed out a sigh of relief when he heard Kurt's breathing become even as the younger boy fell asleep next to him. He knew he should wake him up and help him back to his own room, but Kurt looked peaceful for the first time this afternoon and Blaine didn't have the heart to wake him.

He removed Kurt's and his own shoes careful not to jostle the other boy and covered them both with a blanket.

His roommate Beatz looked surprised when he came in close to curfew but only smiled at Blaine instead of teasing him about having Kurt in his bed.

"Is it okay if he stays here? I don't really want to wake him up because he was exhausted but it's your call," he whispered.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Beatz asked, lowering his voice as well. Blaine nodded as he carefully pushed Kurt's hair out of his face.

"That's cool then. Just don't do anything with me in the room." Blaine glared at him, and Beatz raised his hands in surrender before turning in for the night as well.

Blaine woke up alone the next morning to a little note next to his face. _Blaine, sorry for falling asleep on you. I'll see you at VE rehearsal. Kurt x_

Blaine smiled as he smoothed his finger over the little x behind Kurt's name. He would have loved to wake up next to Kurt but he didn't want to cause Kurt any embarrassment so maybe it was a good thing that Kurt woke up before he did.

* * *

Kurt was a bit nervous about meeting Blaine Thursday afternoon after having spent the night with him. Luckily he managed to convince Jeff that he came in late and got up early, because he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

He had managed to catch Nick after breakfast and after explaining his reaction, Nick had told him to take his time because they still had close to two months before opening night.

That afternoon, Alyson announced their soloists for Sectionals but Kurt wasn't surprised he wasn't one of them. He had sung 'I'm the greatest star' but because of the stress both Chandler and Blaine had caused him the previous week he had only run through the song once or twice, so he knew he could have done better.

He also knew he would have had a better chance had he sung with Blaine, because Blaine got a solo, but he wanted to be able to get a solo because he was good enough, not just because he'd sung with Blaine.

Alyson and surprisingly Nick would sing a duet and Wes, David, Sebastian and Chandler would lead the group number, Alyson still had to announce. Sectionals would take place the weekend after Halloween, so they still had some time to rehearse and try out different songs.

The rest of the week had gone better for Kurt. Mr. Ryan had finally been happy with his performance of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and Ms Corcoran had little criticism when he performed a scene from David Auburn's 'Proof'.

Kurt tried to finish most of his homework during the week because his aunt would come to visit on Sunday and Blaine had invite Kurt and his friends out to Central Park on Saturday for a picnic and Frisbee.

To his surprise Santana, Quinn, Brittany and Jeff all agreed and so the five of them plus Jeff's girlfriend made their way over to bow bridge where Blaine was waiting for him.

Nick, Wes, David and Blaine's roommate Beatz were throwing a football around when they arrived but they soon abandoned it when Kurt put down his own basket.

It was a relaxing afternoon and Kurt tried to keep his jealousy at bay when he observed Santana and Brittany making out for everyone to see without a care in the world. He knew New York wasn't Ohio, but he still expected someone to say something about the two girls.

Blaine must have caught his expression because he gave his hand a quick squeeze and smiled at him.

After their lunch the girls joined the boys in a game of Frisbee but Kurt begged out of it because he didn't want to make a fool out of himself in front of Blaine, but Blaine stayed with him, even after he told him he could just stay behind and watch the game by himself.

Instead, Blaine took him on a walk through Central Park, showing him his favorite spots and the romantic at him was definitely swooning when Blaine told him he had to take Kurt on a carriage ride some time during the winter.

Now that the pressure was off, he could really enjoy spending time with the older boy because he wasn't constantly analyzing Blaine's every move and if they held hands occasionally, neither of them commented on it.

On Sunday, aunt Kate picked him up around noon and took him out to lunch to a little restaurant in Soho that Kurt found fabulous, and once they got back to school, he introduced her to his roommate and the girls. He was glad Blaine wasn't around, because he wasn't sure how well he could hide his growing feelings for the other boy in front of his aunt.

Once he assured her that he was happy at NYADA and no one was bullying him – what Chandler did didn't count as bullying after all – he promised her to come by for dinner soon and they said their goodbyes before he met Blaine for a belated coffee.

The past week had been emotionally draining for both of them, but he felt much closer to Blaine than he had only a week ago and hoped Blaine was feeling the same way.

* * *

"How is he?" Burt asked as soon as his sister picked up the phone. "Hello to you too, dearest brother," Kate answered and Burt rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, hello Kate, I hope you're well. Now tell me about my son." It was hard to tell if Kurt was really happy or if he was faking it when Burt only ever talked on the phone with him. He really needed to get a camera for their computer so he could use that video call thingy.

"He seemed fine when I talked to him and he introduced me to a few of his friends who all seem to like him as well. They are all definitely interesting, but what else what you expect from drama students."

Burt was relieved to hear his young sister say that. Being so far away from his son was hard and he wished he had the money to visit more often. Speaking of that.

"Kurt has some music competition the weekend after Halloween and I was wondering if you could go and video tape it for us. I'd love to come myself, but I can't afford to fly up twice in a month, not if I'm taking Finn and Carole with me for Thanksgiving."

Kate quickly agreed and they talked a bit more about Kurt and Burt's new family before Burt said goodbye, his worries eased considerably.

* * *

Blaine barged into Wes and David's room after a perfunctory knock and threw himself onto the closest bed.

"I need your help," he mumbled into the pillow.

"What was that? Did Blaine Anderson just admit he needed our help?" he heard Wes tease him from behind him and he wanted to turn around and throw a pillow at him, but he needed Wes.

"I want to do something special for Kurt and I need your help Wesley," he repeated.

"Drop the Wesley and we have a deal," Wes immediately agreed, probably because he had a soft spot for Kurt. "What do you need?"

"I need you dad's phone number."

* * *

When Blaine came up to him a few days later, looking nervous, Kurt was worried for a moment but as soon as Blaine handed him an envelop and Kurt saw the contents, he couldn't stop himself from flinging himself into Blaine's arms and hugging the other boy tightly.

"A backstage tour of the Gershwin Theater? 'Wicked' is my favorite musical," Kurt exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

"I had some help," Blaine explained, a slight blush on his face. Kurt didn't really care how Blaine had managed to get them backstage as long as he would get close to the stage where Wicked was performed every night.

Kurt hugged Blaine again before he left to work on an outfit he would wear Saturday morning for his Broadway excursion.

As promised, Blaine picked him up at ten the following Saturday and together they got onto the subway and rode it to 42nd street. A grim looking man was standing outside the stage door, but he let them pass when Blaine showed them the tickets.

Inside they were met by a young woman in her twenties who showed them around and explained how Elphaba managed to fly during Defying Gravity.

Much too soon they had seen every room backstage and Kurt was sad that it was over when Blaine took his hand and led him threw a door right onto the stage.

"Blaine, what are you doing? I'm sure we're not allowed to be here."

"It's okay. We have fifteen minutes so you should decide fast what you want to sing."

Kurt stared at Blaine before he blushed. He knew what he wanted to sing - one of his favorite duets from the show - but he wasn't sure if it was appropriate for him to ask Blaine to join him. He had always hoped to find someone to sing the song with him, but he couldn't miss out on the opportunity to sing it on a Broadway stage just because he might embarrass himself by asking.

"As long as you're mine" Kurt whispered hoping that his face wasn't too red.

But Blaine just motioned for Kurt to start. Kurt took a deep breath before he sung the first line.

_Kiss me too fiercely_

_Hold me too tight_

_I need help believing_

_You're with me tonight_

_My wildest dreamings_

_Could not foresee_

_Lying beside you_

_With you wanting m_e

_And just for this moment_

_As long as you're mine_

_I've lost all resistance_

_And crossed some borderline_

_And if it turns out_

_It's over too fast_

_I'll make ev'ry last moment last_

_As long as you're mine_

Blaine looked at Kurt in awe before he smiled at him and sang Fiyero's words.

_Maybe I'm brainless_

_Maybe I'm wise_

_But you've got me seeing_

_Through different eyes_

_Somehow I've fallen_

_Under your spell_

_And somehow I'm feeling_

_It's "up" that I fell_

They both came together in the middle of the stage and Blaine took Kurt's hand as they sang together.

_Every moment_

_As long as you're mine_

_I'll wake up my body_

_And make up for lost time_

_Just for this moment_

_As long as you're mine_

_Come be how you want to_

_And see how bright we shine_

_Borrow the moonlight_

_Until it is through_

_And know I'll be here holding you_

_As long as you're mine_

They were both breathing hard when they finished, but both had a huge smile on their faces. Kurt took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Blaine again.

"Thank you so much, Blaine. That was the best gift anyone has ever given me," he whispered.

Blaine's face lit up and for a moment Kurt thought Blaine was going to kiss him, but then Blaine just squeezed his arm and let him go. And Kurt was relieved, because no matter how romantic that scene was, he wasn't ready for that. Nick was still only kissing him on the cheek during rehearsal as to not upset him and he didn't want to accidentally push Blaine away during their first kiss.

They left the theater hand in hand and for once Kurt wasn't nervous that other people could see him holding hands with another boy.

* * *

Blaine had been a bit worried that singing a love song with Kurt would be too much, and he had been tempted to just give in and kiss the other boy, but he was glad he had refrained because he knew he couldn't kiss Kurt before Kurt wasn't ready for that.

The next two weeks were more of the same. They got coffee together every second day. Saw each other for breakfast and dinner, musical rehearsal and VE prep for Sectionals. On some nights, they hung out with all their friends and on others it was just the two of them.

Halloween was fast approaching and Wes reminded him again to invite Kurt to his Halloween party in his parent's summer house in the Hamptons.

Blaine wanted Kurt to come, but he wasn't sure that Kurt's father would allow him to go. He felt a bit guilty when he stole Kurt's father's number out of Kurt's phone when the other boy went to the bathroom but he didn't want to force Kurt to lie to his dad in order to come to the party.

With shaking fingers he punched in the number and waited with a baited breath.

"Hummel Tires and Lube, how can I help you?" a gruff voice answered the phone.

"Hi this is Blaine Anderson. I'm a friend of Kurt's from NYADA," he said as confidently as possible. "Is this Burt Hummel?"

"Yeah, my kid okay?" "Yes sir, the reason I'm calling is to ask your permission to invite Kurt to a Halloween party out in the Hamptons."

The line went silent for a moment. "Is that a date?" Mr. Hummel asked, sounding nervous.

"No of course not. Kurt and I are really good friends and our other friend Wesley, who is having the party, wants Kurt to come and asked me to invite him."

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to assume." Blaine's had was reeling. Did that mean Kurt's father already knew he was gay. Should he ask? His mouth ran away from him before he could make a decision.

"Would it be bad if it were a date?" he heard himself ask.

"Depends on the person I guess," came the hesitant answer. "Does Kurt know you think that?" Blaine had to know.

"No he doesn't and I'd prefer it if you didn't tell him about this. As long as he doesn't say anything to me I don't want to assume and I don't want you to confirm or deny anything either. That's something between Kurt and myself."

Blaine hated to promise that because he knew how scared Kurt was to come out to his dad, but he did anyway because he didn't want Kurt to get mad if he found out Blaine talked to his dad about that.

"About the party, sir?" He really hoped Kurt would be allowed to go.

"Will there be adults at the party?" Kurt's dad asked. Blaine briefly explained that Wes' parents would be there and Mr. Hummel asked for their phone number to check Blaine wasn't lying.

Blaine wasn't lying per se. Wes' parents would be at the Hamptons, but in the past years they had always gone out and left the kids to their own devices. As long as the house wasn't trashed the next morning, they didn't care what the teenagers did.

Blaine said goodbye to Mr. Hummel and then prepared himself for the next conversation that was going to be a lot harder now that Mr. Hummel had put the idea in his head. He had planned to ask Kurt to come with him as friends, but maybe Kurt would agree to be his date.

He found Kurt at their usual table at the Lima Bean and brought over two fresh cups of coffee.

"Have you heard about Wes' party?" he asked when Kurt looked up. Kurt nodded. "Do you want to go?"

"I am invited?" Kurt asked surprised and Blaine hated that Kurt was surprised because he got invited to a party.

"Of course you are and I – don't be mad – I already talked to your dad about it and he says you can go if Wes' parents confirm they are going to be there."

Kurt stared at him. "You talked to my dad?" Blaine blushed and nodded, fighting the urge to just tell Kurt what his dad had told him.

"So do you want to go – uhm with me?" Blaine added to clarify that he wanted Kurt to be there.

Kurt turned a nice shade of pink, which Blaine found adorable and he opened and closed is mouth a few times before he finally stuttered out. "Li, like as your date?"

Blaine took a deep breath. This was it, he could just tell him they should go as friends or he could risk it. Courage he told himself.

"If you want it to be," he said to keep the ball in Kurt's corner.

Kurt just sat there and stared at him for a few moments that felt like forever.

Finally he spoke,

"Can I think about it?"

* * *

Up Next: Halloween and Sectionals

I'll try to have it up soon but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.


	7. 1x06: Sectionals

**AN: **I wanted to have this up earlier but I got roped into grandma-sitting. Finally managed to finish it when she took a nap this afternoon. It's even longer that the last one, because Santana insisted on having her own POV. Chandler is finally dealt with this chapter and I hope it's satifying.

* * *

**1x06: Sectionals**

_Previously on NYADA - Freshman Year:_

_Chandler took Kurt on a date but it didn't end so well, but Kurt prevail and showed Chandler who was the boss. Blaine and Kurt continued having non-dates at the Lima Bean and shared each other's baggage. After taking Kurt on a super-romantic non-date he called up Kurt's father, who already knows Kurt's gay but asked Blaine not to say anything, to get permission to take Kurt to a party in the Hamptons. Kurt wanted to know if Blaine wanted him to be his date and Blaine said yes. Instead of immediately saying yes himself, Kurt told Blaine he had to think about it. And that's where we are now..._

Kurt's mind went into overdrive as soon as Blaine invited him to Wes' Halloween party. Did Blaine mean as a date? No, of course not. Blaine had made it clear that he couldn't date Kurt for some reason. He probably didn't want to show up at the party alone, especially with Sebastian pursuing him.

He vaguely registered asking Blaine if going together would mean they were on a date because he'd rather find out now than be disappointed later. Surely any minute now Blaine would start laughing and tell him, no just as friends.

Kurt nearly missed what Blaine said next and for a moment he thought he must have misunderstood, because did Blaine just say it would be a date if Kurt agreed.

Of course, instead of telling Blaine, god yes, his mouth opened and 'can I think about it' came out. There was nothing to think about. He'd spent the last month getting to know Blaine better and didn't agree to any dates – there must be more gay students at NYADA than he had thought – to prove that he didn't need to be in a relationship to be happy.

But it was different with Blaine now. He wasn't just a pretty face anymore who seemed to be nice; they were friends now who hung out constantly and told each other things they didn't tell other people.

Blaine was moving suddenly, Kurt registered and why was he moving away? Did he think Kurt didn't want to go out with him? Or had he said something Kurt had missed?

Come on Hummel, get off your butt, he mumbled to himself before he finally hurried after Blaine. He really should have paid more attention to his surroundings because he suddenly found himself in a bathroom and froze when he spotted Blaine who obviously was busy.

"Sorry," he squeaked and Blaine turned his head. Kurt was sure his face was beyond tomato red.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked and before he could stop his mouth, Kurt blurted out.

"I'd love to go on a date with you."

"And telling me that couldn't wait?" Blaine asked curiously and Kurt could hear the sound of a zipper being pulled up.

Kurt eyes widened because did he just seriously have a conversation with the boy he liked while said boy was using the bathroom. He turned on his heels and ran out of the bathroom after telling Blaine they could talk later.

He made it back to his dorm room in record time and buried his head under his pillow, wishing the earth would swallow him whole. Why did he always have to make a fool out of himself as soon as he and Blaine left the friend zone?

At least Jeff wasn't in the room so he didn't have to explain why he looked flushed and was blushing like crazy.

And if anyone asked how Blaine asked him out, he would insist it happened over coffee and that is all there is to it. Nothing else happened. Definitely.

* * *

Clothes were strewn everywhere in his and Jeff's room but he still had no idea what to wear for Wes party. Kurt wasn't a fan of generic costumes and had hoped he could make one from the clothes he already possessed, but so far nothing.

He was actually relieved when there was a knock on the door and San, Britt and Quinn were standing outside.

"We were wondering if you wanted to come shopping with us for Montgomery's party and judging by the state of your room, you definitely need a break," Quinn told him, her usual bored look in place. It was really too bad because she had a nice smile when she did smile.

Kurt hastily put his clothes back into the closet – and he would definitely have to iron a lot of them the next day – and followed the girls outside.

"Where to?" he asked Santana who knew the city best. "There are a few stores in the Meat Packing District I want to check out, " his friend told him and together they went to the nearest subway station.

Three hours later, Santana had a cat woman costume, Quinn turned into Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Brittany was a mermaid, but Kurt was still stuck. He had no intentions of going as a cowboy or something equally childish.

As they strolled through Soho, not wanting to go back to the dorms already where nothing more than homework was waiting for him, Kurt was frantically trying to come up with his own costume ideas when they passed a store that sold fabrics and all kinds of other stuff next to a souvenir store and a light bulb went off in his head.

He'd always liked working on his own clothes, making them tighter or adding little accessories, so actually sowing his own costume shouldn't be a problem.

He said goodbye to the girls, because he knew he would spend some more time shopping, before entering the store and started browsing fabrics. Once he was done he moved on to the souvenir store and picked up little trinkets that would complete his outfit.

Finally satisfied, he grabbed a tuna wrap on his way back to school, and dumped his bag on his bed because he had to finish his homework before he could start working on his costume.

Jeff eyed the beg curiously but Kurt wanted to keep his costume a secret until the party.

"So you're going to Wes' party as well?" Jeff asked when Kurt told him his purchase was for a Halloween costume.

"Yeah, I mean my dad hasn't said yes yet, but he hasn't said no either, so I think he'll let me go. Are you going?"

Jeff nodded and launched into an explanation of the plan he had devised to get his girlfriend to come as well, whose parents where a bit stricter than Jeff's.

"Are you going with someone?" Jeff asked then, aiming for nonchalantly but failing and Kurt wondered if everyone was aware that something was going on between him and Blaine.

Blaine hadn't said Kurt couldn't talk about it, so Kurt told Jeff about their talk in the coffee shop – of course not mentioning the incident in the bathroom – and he was surprised by how happy Jeff was for him.

He had always assumed that when he finally came out to someone other than Mercedes, no one would want to be near him anymore, especially not boys, but Jeff just hugged him and Kurt was beyond grateful that his dad had allowed him to come to NYADA.

It wasn't even a New York thing because most students at NYADA came from out of state and still he hadn't heard a single derogative comment about the clothes he was wearing or about the fact that his voice was higher than that of his peers like he had experienced in middle school.

Kurt discreetly wiped away a tear, because he didn't want Jeff to see how affected he was by that simple gesture, and than finally started working on the math homework he had been postponing for two days now.

He had barely finished solving the last equations when his phone lit up and Mercedes face showed up on the screen.

He quickly got off his chair and left the room because he didn't want Jeff to catch him squealing like a little girl when he told his best friend about the date with Blaine.

* * *

Three flours up, Blaine was having his own freak out surrounded by Wes and David who seemed to have the time of their life just watching him.

"I don't even know for sure yet that he'll be allowed to go but I need to look fabulous if he does," he mumbled going through Wes and David's closets because he couldn't find anything suitable in his own.

When he heard his two best friends laughing behind him he whirled around and glared at them.

"Stop laughing and help me," he ordered which sent them into another laughing fit.

"Okay, sorry," Wes finally told him. "You said he likes old black and white movies, right?" he asked and Blaine nodded not understanding how this would help him.

"Remember how you showed up here with a whole tube of gel in your hair and we told you to lose it because NYADA wasn't some weird preppy high school?" David continued and Blaine nodded again, even more confused now.

"Maybe it's time to bring it back." Were they messing with him? They had teased him because of his overuse of gel for a few days after he had first transferred and so he reluctantly had cut down on it even though people at his old school had made fun of him because of his curly hair and one time even had thrown chewing gum in his hair.

"What's his favorite old film?" Wes wanted to know and Blaine immediately answered not having to think about it, which caused Wes and David to start laughing again. "Casablanca."

"Then there's your costume. You can gel your hair as much as you like and no one's going to tease you about it."

"So are you saying I should be Humphrey Bogart?" He wasn't a fan of costumes that portrayed real people.

David rolled his eyes. "Is he always that slow?" he asked Wes and Blaine huffed because he wasn't slow, he just didn't get what they wanted him to do.

"Sure is, otherwise he would have asked Kurt out the first time Kurt told him how he felt," Wes was talking to David now as if he wasn't even there anymore.

"Guys," he called out to them. Wes and David finally stopped teasing and turned around to face him again.

"A little hint. His last name is your first name," David said and finally Blaine understood.

"That's brilliant. I'm sure Kurt would like that," he exclaimed, cursing himself for not coming up with it on his own, especially considering how he got his name.

"Hey, do you and Kurt want to ride with us to my house?" Wes asked suddenly and Blaine shrugged.

"I haven't asked him yet, but I think he might want to go with his friends. Thanks for inviting them as well by the way. I know you don't like having freshmen at your party."

Wes shrugged. "I thought he'd be more comfortable if there were others around his age and it would be easier to convince his dad if his friends were going as well."

"Well thanks. I've to go. I need to check out what kind of hats we have in our costume department. If I do this I want to do it right."

Blaine hopped off David's bed and went to the door. Before he left he turned around once more. "Do you think flowers are too much." The next second a pillow collided with his head.

"Dude, you're supposed to play a character not become it. It's a party. Where do you propose he'd put the flowers?"

Both his friends started laughing like crazy again and Blaine decided it was time to get back to his own room and away from their insanity.

* * *

"Hey Cedes, how are you?" he asked as soon as he picked up his phone and sat down outside of his room.

"Not important. Tell me about the party?" Kurt furrowed his brow. How could she know about that?

"What party?" he asked her curiously. "Don't lie, Kurt Hummel. I heard from Finn, who heard it from your dad that your 'friend'", Kurt could hear the quotation marks in her voice, "Blaine invited you to a party in the Hamptons."

"Finn can't just keep his mouth shut, can he?" Kurt muttered and Mercedes chuckled. "It was worth seeing Rachel get all jealous over it." That made Kurt chuckle as well.

"Alright, I'm going to tell you all about it, but first tell me how Sectionals went." McKinley's Sectionals was two weeks before they had their own, which would take place the week after Halloween.

"Sue, that's the crazy cheerleading coach, gave our set list to the competion and we only found out when we got there, which really sucked because I had a solo. But we switched some things around and ended up with Harmony singing 'Don't rain on my parade' and we sang 'Somebody to love' and 'You can't always get what you want' as group numbers so everyone got some lines. Rachel thought she and Finn should duet on the Rolling Stones' number because it was Finn's idea, but luckily Mr. Schue shut her down because we'd only ever sung it as a group before. So all we have to do now is win Regionals and then we can meet up for Nationals if you guys win as well," Mercedes recounted enthusiastically.

"Wow, congrats. I hope you have a video of it somewhere," Kurt told her honestly. It was just too bad Mercedes didn't get to sing 'And I'm telling you' because he thought she sounded amazing when she sang that."

"I don't have a solo either, but I'm sure with Blaine on lead we're going to kill this thing," he continued and was interrupted by a squeak.

"Okay, tell me about Blaine, now!" she ordered and Kurt stretched out his legs in front of him to get more comfortable.

"Okay fine. He called my dad asking if I could come to the party and later when we met for coffee he told me it could be a date if I wanted," he admitted.

"Tell me you said yes. You did say yes, right?" Mercedes asked and Kurt pretty much saw his friend bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Yes, Mercedes. I did say yes. And yes, I promise to tell you all the details afterward."

"You better," Mercedes mock threatened, before she seemed to call out to someone close by.

"That was my mom. She told me I have to get off the phone. Talk to you soon boo."

Kurt said goodbye as well and was about to go back into his room when his phone rang again, his father's name on the display. Kurt just hoped his dad was calling to tell him he could go to the party.

"Hey dad," Kurt said cheerfully. "Please tell me you're calling because I can go to Wes' party."

His father chuckled and Kurt hoped that was a good sign. "I've talked it over with Carole and I spoke to your friend's parents, so yes you can go but there's something I want to talk to you about first.

Kurt was sure he'd get the speech they always got when Carole and his dad weren't home. "I know dad. No alcohol, no drugs, no," he stopped. Usually his dad ended with no girls but that wasn't really an issue with him.

Luckily his dad didn't comment on his abrupt silence and just continued his own little lecture.

"Now, I don't expect there to be alcohol with the Montgomery's present, but if there is don't overdo it." "What?" Had his dad just given him permission to drink alcohol at a party?

"It would be hypocritical of me to tell you not to drink at all when Carole and I let you have a glass of Champaign for new year's and our wedding, but please be sensible about it. I'd rather you didn't drink at all till you're twenty-one, but I was a teenager once too, so I know what happens at parties. Which brings me to the second thing."

What else was there to discuss. He had already told his dad numerous times he wasn't interested in drugs. Maybe he'd try smoking pot in college to see what the bid deal was, but that was it.

"I know you'll have to stay overnight at the party, so I was wondering what the sleeping arrangements might be?" his dad continued. Kurt honestly had no idea.

"I don't know dad. We'll probably just sleep on the floor in sleeping bags or so," he offered. He didn't see what the problem was. He lived in a dorm, which was like a permanent sleepover.

"Then I expect you not to share that sleeping bag with anyone." Kurt finally got what his dad was hinting at and turned beet red. His dad wouldn't try to give him a sex talk over the phone, would he?

"I know you're young and hormones are going crazy but you matter Kurt and I don't want you to throw yourself at the first person available just because no one's there to supervise you." That was an unlikely scenario when he couldn't even kiss his costar, but that wasn't something he could tell his dad.

"I promise not to hook up with anyone at the party, dad. Can I go now? It's getting late."

He loved his father dearly but sometimes his over-protectiveness could be a tad bit annoying. He was a teenager. He was supposed to make mistakes and figure things out on his own without his dad holding his hand all the time.

"Fine," his dad sighed. "Just let me know when you get there and when you're back to the city. How are you getting there by the way?"

"Me and a group of others are taking the train and someone's going to pick us up at the station. Blaine's friends offered to drive us but I didn't want to leave my friends alone, " Kurt explained while shaking out his leg which had fallen asleep.

"Good. You call me if you need something. You know, aunt Kate is only an hour away."

Kurt rolled his eyes. He wasn't a baby anymore. "Okay dad. Thanks for letting me go. Love you," he told his dad so he could get back to his room and read a bit before bed.

"Love you too, kiddo. Take care."

* * *

They had barely made it onto the train leaving from Grand Central Station and Santana was already bored. True, she had Brittany by her side and Quinn on her other, but she could barely look at Porcelain and the hobbit who were sitting opposite her and kept looking at the other when they thought they weren't looking. They've been doing this for weeks now and it was time something happened.

But they didn't have to worry about that because Santana had a plan. A plan that involved vodka and a few rounds of spin the bottle. They could thank her later.

"Aren't they cute," Britt suddenly whispered into her ear and Santana nodded reluctantly. She always found it hard to disagree with anything Britt said.

Quinn for one didn't look bored at all as she was flirting with a dark haired junior, who however was staring at Brit. Santana sent him a death glare and tightened her arm around Britt's shoulders. The message was clear – back off, she's mine.

Five minutes into the train ride the hobbit got up and offered to get drinks for everyone from the dining cart and who was Santana to refuse that offer. She waited until he was out of sight before she leaned forward toward Kurt.

"So, have you tapped that yet? I don't think so but maybe you're a better actor than I thought," she drawled on purpose because she loved to see Porcelain blush. Contrary to what others might think, she liked the pale boy because he had style and could be as much of a bitch as she was.

"San," he exclaimed, looking around frantically and Santana laughed. "Didn't think so. Though I think you're missing out. I guess he could be taller but that ass is fabulous," she added just to see him turn even redder.

"Can you keep it down? And no we haven't done anything yet. It's our first date."

Santana remembered her first "date" with Brit at cheerleading camp a year ago and there was definitely more kissing and less gazing longingly at each other going on. But hopefully the party tonight would change that.

Not wanting to miss anything later tonight she closed her eyes and took a nap for the rest of the ride. The Montgomerys really must have money because their group was picked up at the train station by five black stretch limousines and Santana definitely approved.

She had grown up with money as well but her mom was in prison for fraud and her deadbeat dad had taken off as soon as her mom couldn't finance his hobbies anymore, which is why she ended up with her abuela in the Bronx.

She was just glad that her mom had managed to transfer some money out of the country before she got arrested so Santana could still afford certain things. And in only two more years she would get her mom and hopefully her lifestyle back.

The Montgomery's beach house was three times the size of her abuela's house and Santana quickly claimed a guest room for her and Brittany, while she discreetly put Kurt's bag into a room that Wes called Blaine's room.

She and Brittany were definitely one of the hottest couples at the party and after a while Quinn joined them with a round of drinks and they eyed some of the other costumes in distain. Looking like a slut most definitely didn't scream classy.

She spied the hobbit before she spotted Porcelain but once he came into the room there was no missing him. On his head he wore a crown just like the statue of liberty and his shirt was a street map of Manhattan complete with little yellow cabs and skyscrapers he must have sown onto it.

The hobbit next to him wore a fedora and a white dinner jacket with a black bow tie. She had no idea who he was supposed to be, but it didn't matter. Time to put her plan into action.

She got up from the comfortable couch and got Kurt a vodka tonic and a beer for Blaine because she didn't want him to suspect anything. Both accepted their drinks gratefully and Santana tried not to laugh when Kurt nearly spat his drink back out.

"Maybe I should drink gin," he told the hobbit and Santana was glad she wasn't the only won who looked confused.

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into mine," Porcelain quoted, probably from some weird old movie. Both boys started laughing though and Santana deemed it okay to leave them alone for a while.

Unfortunately she couldn't get them to join spin the bottle later, but when she saw them sitting closely together holding hands later that night she still felt like she had accomplished something, even if all her plans had failed.

Tire of watching the two boys who were so obviously into each other, she grabbed Britt's hand and brought her back to their room for their own version of spin the bottle.

* * *

Kurt burst out laughing when Blaine came up to him after they had both changed into their costumes and offered Kurt his arm. "Monsieur Liberté, Rick Blaine, pleasure to meet you," he introduced himself.

"That's awesome Blaine. You should have told me so we could have combined our costumes," Kurt told him, trying not to move his head too fast to prevent his crown form falling off.

"And have our love story doomed from the start, I think not," Blaine had answered staying in character and Kurt knew he could fall in love with that boy.

They walked through the house arm in arm, talking to a few of Blaine's friends from school and complemented Wes and David's costumes who were both a characters from Alice in Wonderland.

They were about to get some drinks when Santana came over, her long cat tail swishing behind her and handed Kurt a cup, which he eyed wearily and Blaine a beer. As soon as the burning liquid hit his throat he nearly spat it all out again, but he didn't want to act like a total baby in front of the other party guests, and so he just turned to Blaine and quoted a line from Casablanca, which they continued for the rest of the night.

The party was becoming rowdier as the night wore on and Kurt thought he and Blaine might be the only relatively sober people in the room.

"Do you want to get out of here for a bit?" Blaine asked when he realized Kurt wasn't having that much fun anymore. Kurt followed him without any questions because he trusted Blaine not to turn into a Chandler the moment they left the main party.

They walked around the house for a bit looking for a quiet place until they reached a door that was locked. Blaine jumped up though and swiped a key from the top of the door and quickly unlocked it.

Inside was a beautiful piano and Blaine quickly sat down in front of it and asked Kurt to join him. The moment he started playing Kurt instantly recognized the song and his eyes lit up as Blaine started singing after playing a bit.

_You must remember this. A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply. As time goes by._

_And when two lovers woo. They still say, "I love you." On that you can rely. No matter what the future brings. As time goes by._

Kurt wanted nothing more in that moment but for Blaine to lean in and kiss him because it would be most romantic and he'd rather have his proper first kiss with Blaine than Nick on stage but Blaine just took his hand in his own and looked at Kurt intently.

"I'm so glad you agreed to come here with me tonight." Kurt gave him a shy smile before he repeated the sentiment.

"I didn't know you played piano," Kurt broke the silence after they'd been staring at each other for a while.

"Piano and violin are the reason my dad agreed to let me come here, so he wasn't very happy when I started concentrating on musical theater. I still love playing though. Do you play?"

"The piano a bit. But not like you," Kurt whispered because he didn't want to destroy the atmosphere in the room.

"Then we have to play together some time." Blaine took his hand and led him back to the main party after locking the door behind him.

Like he had done many times before, Blaine walked him to the room that he would share with Jeff and Nick for the night and Kurt wished he had the courage to just make the first move and kiss Blaine good night.

Instead Blaine hugged him tightly and whispered into his ear. "I had a great night Kurt. I hope we can do that again."

In that moment it didn't matter that Blaine hadn't even kissed him on the cheek because Blaine wanted to go out with him again. He had been polite and funny without expecting anything in return.

Kurt Hummel finally had had a perfect first date.

* * *

The week following Halloween, they didn't have much time to spend together because Blaine was busy rehearsing his solo for Sectionals, in addition to Spring Awakening and a piano recital he got roped into, while Kurt had to deal with assignments and his own rehearsals.

However, Blaine always made sure to hold his hand when they walked to classes together after breakfast or when they left the musical rehearsals, which more often than not earned him hostile glares from Chandler or downright crude gestures. At one point the older boy had even gone as far as suggesting to Kurt, when no one else was around, that he should come back to him when he was ready for a real man.

Kurt tried not to let Chandler get to him and rather focused on the competion ahead of them.

Because they both were busy Kurt wanted to take Blaine out as soon as Sectionals was over, but he was also looking forward to attending his first official NYADA party the school would throw regardless of if they won or not.

Saturday, they piled into a few cabs and drove to a private school located on the upper east side that would host this years Sectionals. Kurt was bouncing up and down in his seat, excited to get there and when he caught Blaine's eyes, he blushed, a permanent feature whenever he was around Blaine.

"You're adorable," Blaine whispered and squeezed Kurt's hand that was resting between them. Kurt thought his blush was more embarrassing than anything else, but if Blaine thought it was adorable, he wasn't going to argue.

They had gotten lucky, according to Alyson, because they had drawn the last spot, and Kurt was impressed with all the other show choirs as they watched in the auditorium.

Finally they all went backstage for a final warm up, and before they knew it it was time to go on stage.

Blaine kicked them off with an upbeat version of 'Bill, bills, bills' while the rest of them was dancing behind and around him, and Wes and David did some impressive backflips.

Kurt had been surprised when the duet had been announced, but he had to admit that Alyson and Nick sounded really good together. The two of them sang 'Time of my life' from 'Dirty Dancing' and had even managed to incorporate most of the original choreography, because of Nick's dance training.

As their final song they had chosen 'Man in the mirror' for which David, Wes, Chandler and Sebastian were alternating singing lead and the rest of VE was singing backup.

It was exhilarating seeing all those people in the audience, and Kurt couldn't wait for his chance to sing a solo in front of a huge audience one day.

Blaine's friends seemed to be sure they had it in the bag, but Kurt was still surprised when they were announced the winners of the competition.

Once they got off stage with their new shiny trophy the members of Vocal Explosion went back to school but Kurt and Blaine hung out in the foyer a bit longer to wait for Kurt's aunt who had promised to come to the performance.

"You were amazing," Kurt told Blaine as soon as the others had left, proud to hold his hand, especially after he'd seen the jealous looks some of the girls sent in his direction.

"I'm so glad you were here with me for that," Blaine answered, and the blush was back. "You know what would make that day even better?" he added as he took both of Kurt's hands into his.

Kurt shook his head, not daring to hope Blaine was going to say what he hoped he would.

"If you agreed to be my boyfriend. I know we haven't known each other for that long and have only gone out on one proper date, but you'd make me really happy if you said yes," Blaine told him, a shy smile on his face.

Kurt flung himself at Blaine, and they hugged for a few moments. "That's a yes in case you were wondering," Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear before he let go and then Blaine leaned in and …

It was probably for the best that Kurt didn't find out what Blaine's intention's had been because in that moment he spotted his aunt standing behind Blaine and Kurt took a step back and paled because the knowing smile on her face told him she had heard the whole conversation.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your," she paused, "friend?" aunt Kate asked and Kurt tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. She didn't look angry and as long as she didn't tell his dad all would be okay.

"Aunt Kate, this is Blaine. We go to school together," Kurt told her and let go of Blaine's hand. Blaine looked disappointed and because Kurt didn't want to hurt his feelings any more he decided to be brave and linked their hands together again.

"Blaine, this is my aunt Kate. You missed her during her last visit." "And there I though you were purposefully hiding the cutie," his aunt teased and Kurt turned pink yet again.

His aunt was almost ten years younger than his dad and had only celebrated her thirstiest birthday a few months ago, but most people thought she was only in her early twenties.

Kurt didn't know what to do next and his hesitation must have shown because Blaine let go of his hand and excused himself to the bathroom.

"He's cute," aunt Kate said as soon as Blaine was gone, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."You already said that," Kurt said, not commenting on the other thing she said and waiting for the inevitable questions that would surely come.

"So you've been dating long?" aunt Kate asked when it became clear Kurt wasn't going to volunteer any information.

"As you overheard, no." "Kurt you don't need to be so defensive. I'm on your side," his aunt assured him and Kurt's shoulders slumped.

"Thank you, but please don't tell dad about this. He doesn't know," Kurt pleaded because if his dad ever found out, he wanted to be the one to tell him.

"Of course not, Kurt. But you should tell him. My brother might surprise you." Kurt shook his head. He had his suspicions that his dad might be okay with it, but as long as there was a chance his dad might hate him, he wasn't ready to say anything.

"Not yet," he whispered, just as Blaine returned and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Blaine. I'm sure you guys have plans. Maybe we can all get together for dinner some time soon," aunt Kate told his new boyfriend – BOYFRIEND! – before she kissed Kurt's cheek and pulled Blaine into a short hug.

"That went well, right?" Blaine asked once his aunt had left and Kurt's hand was secure in Blaine's again.

Kurt nodded, a relieved smile on his face. To be honest he hadn't expected anything else from his aunt who was considered the wild child of the family, much to his conservative grandfather's chagrin.

"Come on, time to party." Blaine pulled him along outside, never letting go of his hand until they were in a cab on their way to their victory party.

* * *

The party was in full swing when Blaine and Kurt finally came down from Kurt's room, after spending an hour waiting for Kurt to find a suitable outfit.

Students were milling around everywhere in the two common rooms that had been converted into a party zone and one sip from his punch told Blaine that it had already been spiked.

He was looking for his friends or Kurt's but the room they were in was packed and it was hard to find anyone. As wasn't unusual for a NYADA party people who didn't go to school there were at the party as well and it took them a while to find Wes and David who were trying to pick up some girls in a corner.

Even thought that was the last thing he wanted, Blaine had to let go of Kurt's hand more than once to squeeze through the strong of partygoers.

They didn't stay long with Wes and David though because according to David, he and Kurt were cramping his style and Blaine set out to find Kurt's friend so his boyfriend wouldn't be alone while he went to get them more drinks.

Brittany and Santana were making out in another corner and a group of boys had already surrounded them to watch. Blaine left Kurt with them and set out to find a bar that had drinks that hadn't been spiked yet, because he didn't want to get too drunk around Kurt and it was a school sponsored party after all, and some teachers were around to supervise.

Drinks in hand, a bottle of water for him and a diet coke for Kurt, he was on his way back to Kurt when someone blocked his way.

"When you're done at the kiddies table, maybe you want to join me in some grown up celebration," Sebastian drawled, clearly not sober anymore. Blaine scoffed.

It wasn't the first time Sebastian had made jabs at Kurt's age since they started holding hands at school, even though the senior didn't seem to have a problem with Kurt being a freshman when Chandler wanted to get his hands on him.

"Leave me alone, Sebastian," he told the other boy, trying to walk around him but too many people were around and he didn't exactly want to shove Sebastian out of the way.

"Look Sebastian, I'm sure there are plenty of guys here who would love to hook up with you. So why don't you let met go," he tried to reason with Sebastian.

"But they aren't you," Sebastian pouted and for a second Blaine actually believed Sebastian might have feelings for him that went beyond wanting to fuck him. Not that it mattered. He had Kurt now, and even if he didn't have Kurt he still wouldn't be interested. He had been flattered at first when Sebastian had first started flirting with him the previous year, because it was the first time he didn't have to watch his back, but it had never been more than this and he had told Sebastian, because he didn't want to lead him on.

Sebastian was still looking at him with a weird expression in his eyes and eventually stepped aside, just as Blaine heard Kurt's high voice cry out, sounding distressed.

Blaine shoved past Sebastian and elbowed a few others out of the way, but by the time he reached his boyfriend, a teacher was already holding Chandler by the elbow while Kurt was sobbing into Santana's shoulder.

"What happened," he asked the teacher, trying to get closer to Kurt, but his math teacher Mr. Rogers wouldn't let him pass.

"Don't worry about it Mr. Anderson. We have everything under control." Blaine glared at him before he pushed past the teacher and Kurt flung himself into Blaine's arms.

"Kurt's my boyfriend, so tell me what Chandler did to him?" Mr. Roger seemed surprised. "Why do you assume Mr. Kiel did something to Mr. Hummel?"

"Because that wouldn't be the first time," Blaine yelled, keen on taking care of his boyfriend instead of playing twenty questions.

"Very well then. You may accompany Mr. Hummel to Dean Mayers while I take Mr. Kiel to the headmaster."

Blaine nodded and wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulder to guide him through the other students who stepped back to let them through. He tried to catch Kurt's eyes but Kurt was staring at the floor though Blaine could still hear him crying when they left the noisy common room.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. I promise."

* * *

Kurt had gotten bored when Blaine hadn't returned after five minutes and had walked a few steps away from San and Britt who seemed to be in their own world. And that mistake was what had landed him and Blaine in the office of the Dean, where Ms Carson was also already waiting for them.

Kurt sat down shakily on a chair next to Blaine and wiped his face before looking up to face the teachers.

"We are very sorry for the incident tonight, Mr. Hummel, but what we are even more concerned about is that Mr. Anderson stated that this wasn't the first time that Mr. Kiel had accosted you."

Kurt felt Blaine take his hand and shot him a grateful smile before he took a deep breath.

"No this wasn't the first time Chandler didn't accept a no when I told him so."

Both teachers looked concerned, but the Dean frowned. "Why did you not report it? That's what our harassment policy is for."

Kurt looked at Blaine who nodded. Time to come clean.

"I didn't say anything because I knew I would be in trouble as well." "Do continued, Mr. Hummel."

"I met Chandler at a college party my first week here. He kept giving me drinks and later, I guess, tried to hook up with me. I didn't want to and Blaine saved me. He apologized to me later on and asked me out on a date. He seemed really sorry for how he behaved and I had never been asked out before. We had a nice time but on the way home he kissed me without consent and wouldn't let me go. Tonight when Blaine left me to get me something to drink, Chandler suddenly showed up and shoved me against the wall. He said some horrible things about me that I don't want to repeat and when I told him to go away he tried to force himself on me again. Then Mr. Rogers showed up and pulled him off me."

Kurt was relieved to finally get it all off his chest although he was afraid of the consequences he would have to face.

"I'd like to start by saying we are not happy with the way you decided to spend your nights, but we don't actually have rules that tell you were you can and can't go as long as you're back in the dorms by your curfew," the dean was the first to break the silence.

Kurt bowed his head. "I wasn't back by curfew. I…" He couldn't tell the dean about the window because he didn't want to move to another room. "I got lucky because a few older students just got back as well and I went inside with them." Luckily the teachers seemed to have bought the lie, because they turned to Blaine.

"And how did you get back to the dorms, Mr. Anderson?" Dean Mayers asked. Blaine's hold on Kurt's hand tightened for a moment, before Blaine put on his most charming, a would make a great son-in-law smile.

"I was back in time for my own curfew, sir. Unfortunately I didn't not know that Kurt went to NYADA with me when we met, otherwise I would have made sure to bring him back safely."

The dean and Ms Carson both nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"Alright, I want both of you to go back to your rooms now. I will call your father now." Kurt suddenly paled. His dad couldn't know about any of this because otherwise he would be on a plane first thing tomorrow morning.

"Please, do whatever you want to me, but you can't tell my dad. He doesn't even know I'm, that I like boys."

Both teachers looked sympathetic but Kurt knew they wouldn't give in to his pleads. "Rest assured, we will not mention the nature of Mr. Kiel's attack to your father or your other misdemeanors because we understand how much pressure new students are under and we like to deal with infractions of the rules ourselves. However, we do have to inform your father that you have been harassed and that we are taking care of the issues," Ms Carson told him before the dean took over again.

"As for punishment for breaking curfew, you will be suspended for two days, during which you are required to stay in your room apart from practice for the musical should you be part of it and meals of course. You are not allowed to have company other than your roommate who will be given your homework."

Kurt breathed out a sigh of relief. Had he known that punishment wouldn't be worse, he would have reported Chandler's actions weeks ago.

He and Blaine quickly left the office after that and went back to Kurt's room because Kurt didn't want to be alone after that.

* * *

Blaine was reluctant to step inside Kurt's room because Kurt wasn't supposed to have anyone in there with him, but one look at Kurt's face convinced him to come in for a bit.

Kurt sat down on his bed and after a brief hesitation he dragged Kurt's chair over and sat down on it. Judging by the look on Kurt's face that had been the wrong thing to do because his boyfriend's face fell.

"I understand if you don't want to be close to me. Who'd want someone as damaged as me," Kurt whispered avoiding to look at Blaine.

Blaine immediately scooted forward to take Kurt hands but Kurt pulled them out of his grasp. Only when Blaine tried to hold his hand again, Kurt relented and let him.

"Hey, don't say things like that. You're not damaged, but it's completely understandable if you're a bit shaken up," Blaine tried to comfort Kurt but wasn't sure if he got through to him.

"If you don't think that, then why was Chandler right?" Blaine saw a tear escape Kurt's eye and Blaine quickly wiped it away.

"What did Chandler say?" Blaine growled out but immediately softened his voice when he saw Kurt flinch.

"He said the reason you aren't kissing me is because you think I'm dirty and used, and you don't want his sloppy seconds but are too polite to say so," Kurt cried out, and Blaine started to hate Chandler even more if that was even possible.

"Please Kurt don't listen to a word he says. He is just angry because you rejected him and are with me now," he tried to convince Kurt who stubbornly shook his head.

"Then why won't you kiss me?" Kurt whispered in tears and Blaine's heart broke a little.

"Kurt, the reason I haven't kissed you yet, is because I want you to kiss me first. I need to be sure you're totally okay with it, and until you initiate it I can never be sure I wouldn't trigger another flashback, and I can't do that to you. I care too much about you and you deserve an amazing first kiss. One you're willing to give."

They were both in tears by now, but Kurt looked almost relieved now that Blaine had told him about the reason for the kissing embargo. He finally moved over to the bed to sit next to Kurt and pulled him into his arms, letting Kurt rest his head on Blaine's shoulder.

"Are you tired?" Blaine asked when Kurt had calmed down and Kurt nodded. He got up to let Kurt get some rest but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Please, don't leave me."

* * *

When the phone rang at close to ten on a Saturday night, Burt expected the worst. Maybe Finn had gotten into a car accident or had been arrested for causing trouble with that clown Puckerman.

Getting a call about Kurt was the last thing he expected, but he was glad he sat down when the teacher told him to.

Burt was getting angry when he listened to NYADA's dean explain the situation, because he had sent his son all the way to New York to keep him away from harassment just to get harassed again in a school that boasted it's zero tolerance policy.

He was ready to demand justice and yell at the dean until he got it – not that had ever worked with Kurt's teachers before - when something the dean said nearly made him fall out of his chair.

"Now, Mr. Hummel, nothing is set in stone until we investigate further, so we'd like you not to tell your son about it yet, but rest assured that this incident will not go unpunished."

Burt couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were actually punishing the boy who had hurt his son and he didn't even have to threaten them?

Once he had hung up the phone, he got himself a beer out of the fridge to calm his nerves before he called Kurt. It was getting late but it was a Saturday night, so he was sure Kurt was still up.

Finn came in a few minutes later but immediately disappeared upstairs probably to play one of his computer games. Once he had finished his can he went back into the living room and picked up his phone.

The voice on the other end of the line seemed familiar but Burt couldn't place it at first until the boy spoke.

"Mr. Hummel sir, this is Blaine." "Put Kurt on the phone, Blaine," was all Burt said as he sank down deeper into the couch cushions.

* * *

Kurt was snuggled up to Blaine when his phone started ringing. Not wanting to disturb the younger boy who had fallen into a fitful sleep after begging Blaine not to go he quickly unlocked Kurt's iPhone and accepted the call after checking the caller ID.

He wanted to ask Mr. Hummel to call again the next morning but when he was basically ordered to put Kurt on the phone, he put down the phone next to Kurt and softly shook him to wake him up.

Kurt's hair was tousled, his bangs falling into his face and he looked confused for a moment when he realized his head was basically in Blaine's lap.

"It's your dad," Blaine told him and then added more quietly. "Do you want me to give you two some privacy?" Kurt shook his head and sat up a bit, not leaving the safety of Blaine's arms however.

Blaine tried not to listen into the conversation but he still could hear Kurt's replies which consisted mostly of assuring his father that he was okay, and no he was happy where he was and his dad didn't need to come up early because he was surrounded by friends, the teachers actually cared for him and Thanksgiving would be in two weeks.

Listening to Kurt talk to his dad made Blaine wish his dad cared that much about him. He knew that his dad loved him, but he wished he was more involved in his life, not only calling to make sure his grades were still good and he was keeping up with his piano and violin lessons.

Blaine was so lost in his own thoughts that he missed Kurt ending the call and was only brought back to the present when Kurt snuggled up to him again.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Blaine asked him, not exactly tired himself. Kurt shook his head. "Can you stay a bit longer?" he asked, a shy smile on his face.

Blaine knew that he shouldn't because it was past Kurt's curfew but he still nodded and got up to pick a movie.

Kurt pouted when Blaine moved away from him, but his face lit up when he saw the movie Blaine had picked. The Sound of Music.

"That was my mom's favorite movie. She named me after that," Kurt explained when Blaine joined him on the bed again. Blaine chuckled. "My mom might be a bitch, but apparently she and your mom have something in common.

"Don't tell me, 'Pretty in Pink'? Kurt teased but Blaine shook his head. "Casablanca."

Once they both stopped laughing they moved back on Kurt's bed to sit up against the headboard and Kurt snuggled up to Blaine again.

They had barely watched twenty minutes of the movie when Blaine looked over to Kurt and saw that he was fast asleep. Blaine extracted himself from Kurt's embraced and quickly put a pillow in Kurt's arms as Kurt shifted, before leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to Kurt's cheek.

"Goodnight, Kurt," he whispered. "Sleep well."

As much as he wanted to stay with Kurt that night, he didn't want them to get into trouble and now that he had told a teacher about their relationship it was unacceptable for him to spend the night in Kurt's room.

He left a note for Jeff, letting him know what had happened in case he hadn't heard about it and quietly left the room with a smile on his face.

* * *

Getting suspended or more likely grounded on a Saturday wasn't such a bad thing because this way he only missed school for one day.

Jeff spent the whole Sunday with him, trying to cheer him up and he and Blaine managed to talk for a few minutes during meals. Monday was boring however and so he reorganized his closet, finished his remaining homework and wasting countless hours of his life playing Angry Birds on his phone.

He was actually looking forward to Jeff bringing him more homework and was wondering how Blaine hadn't gone mad when he had been grounded for a week.

Later that night he talked to Mercedes for a bit, telling her all about Sectionals but leaving out the ugly bits of the night, in the hope that his dad wouldn't tell Finn so Finn could go and tell the Glee club about it.

They both squealed like twelve-year-old girls when he told her that he was now Blaine's boyfriend and together they put together a plan for a date Kurt wanted to take Blaine on the following weekend because it would be his last free weekend before the madness of Spring Awakening tech week took over.

To his surprise his was called back to the headmasters office after his morning classes ended on Wednesday and he hoped the teachers hadn't reconsidered and wanted to tell him he'd get more punishment.

"Mr. Hummel, please sit down," headmaster Sanders told him as Kurt entered. Kurt had only seen the headmaster once before, on his first day of school, but the man had kind eyes, hidden behind large frames, his hair was graying and he was dressed in a suit Kurt approved off.

"The reason we called you here," only now Kurt realized that dean Mayers and Ms Carson were in the room as well, " is to inform you about the fate of Mr. Kiel."

"Mr. Kiel," the dean took over, "has been expelled, and vacated the premises early this morning." Kurt gasped because he honestly hadn't expected that. Not that he wasn't pleased, don't get him wrong. He was glad he could walk around on his own again without fear of running into the older boy.

"We did not make that decision lightly, but we had other students come forward who reported Mr. Kiel's behavior in regards to them. This has gone on for too long, and we do not wish to subject any more students to Mr. Kiel's deplorable behavior. I hope you can feel safe at this school again, now that Mr. Kiel has been removed."

Kurt nodded silently. Was he supposed to say something? And would he be an awful person if started jumping up and down joyously? He settled on doing neither.

"Thank you for letting me know. If it's all right with you I need to head to my voice class right now."

All three teachers nodded and Kurt left the office, only to run straight into Blaine.

"What happened? Did they make a decision?"

Kurt threw his arms around Blaine and embraced him tightly.

"He's gone for good. He got expelled," he told Blaine excitedly, keeping his voice down though because they were still in front of the headmaster's office.

"Oh thank god," Blaine whispered into his ear and then Kurt felt the press of Blaine's lips on his cheek and Kurt turned pink. When he turned his had he gave Blaine a big smile to show that he was totally okay with this.

Blaine licked his lips and for a moment Kurt thought it would be so easy to just lean in and kiss him on the lips but in that moment he also realized that Blaine had been right. He wasn't ready for that yet.

But soon he promised himself. And hopefully before he had to kiss Nick on stage.

* * *

**Next time on NYADA - Freshman Year:** The Hudmel family + Mercedes and a surprise guest arrive in New York for the opening night of Spring Awakening. Burt finally meets Blaine and Kurt tries to kiss Blaine before he has to kiss Nick on opening night. Thanksgiving at aunt Kate's house in New Jersey, but will there be Blaine for dinner? Mr. Anderson comes to town and Blaine introduces Kurt as his boyfriend. Will everything go well?

I have to admit I stole Kurt's costume idea from one of Chris Colfer's halloween costume (L.A). I hope to update soon because I'm back to cat-sitting and it's so much easier to write unless she decides to sit on my keyboard again.

So Glee should be online in 2 1/2 hours (4:30am) Stay up for it yes or no? I just keep my fingers crossed that Glee doesn't keep disappointing me.


	8. 1x07: Meet the Family Pt1

**AN: **I got roped into helping my family renovate their house my days off so I still only have about a third of the chapter finished. I didn't want to make you wait any longer, so I'll post it in smaller parts and put them together once it's finished. We're looking at 3 – 4 parts.

* * *

**1x07 Meet the Family**

_Previously on NYADA Freshman Year. Kurt finally had a proper first date as he and Blaine attended Wes Montgomery's annual Halloween party. Vocal Explosions won their Sectionals and Chandler tried to force himself on Kurt again during a celebratory after party. The school was finally alerted to Chandler's behavior and as Kurt was suspended for two days for staying out after curfew, Chandler got expelled after other students came forward as well._

_Kurt's aunt found out about Kurt and Blaine but promised to keep their new relationship a secret, while hinting that Kurt's father would probably be okay with it. Kurt is still waiting for his first kiss with Blaine and hopes it's going to happen before he has to kiss Nick on stage during Spring Awakening's opening night. And that's what you missed on NYADA Freshman Year._

"You're going to leave marks on the floor if you keep that up," Blaine remarked as Kurt was nervously pacing up and down in his dorm room. His family and Mercedes were due to arrive in a few hours and he was anxious about his father meeting Blaine, even if his dad thought Blaine was just a friend.

In the short amount of time he had known the other boy he had quickly become one of the most important people in his life and he needed his dad to like him. On some level he knew his dad must be okay with Blaine, because they had already spoken on the phone and Blaine had helped convincing his dad to let him go to Wes' party, but Kurt wasn't thinking rationally right now.

Because what if his dad could see right through them? He had never been really good about hiding things from his dad and he didn't like outright lying to him. Bending the truth a little – sure. He was a teenager after all, but having to lie about something so important wasn't something he particularly liked to do.

"It's going to fine, I promise. I will be the perfectly behaved best friend who is just looking out for you and maybe if you see how your dad interacts with me, you will want to tell him the truth."

Kurt shook his head. They had been through that before. Blaine was convinced his father would be totally fine with him being gay just because his aunt was. But his aunt was nothing like the rest of the family and Kurt couldn't believe his dad wouldn't be like his grandfather when it came to homosexuals.

"I've been meaning to ask you this before, but why the hell did you tell my dad you're gay?" Kurt asked instead of telling Blaine yet again that he'd rather not risk it.

Blaine just shrugged. "He wanted to know if I called because I wanted to take you out on a date and told me that was something that I had to ask you. I told him that yes I was gay, but you and I are just friends, which was true when we spoke. He didn't seem to have a problem with me possibly asking you out."

Kurt still wasn't buying it. After all, you couldn't see a person's reaction on the phone and what if his dad had just been polite to him. Or what if he was one of those people who seemed fine with people being gay as long as it wasn't their own child?

"Can you just drop it," he muttered and Blaine raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, sorry. I know this is a touchy subject for you."

They were both silent for a few minutes while Kurt tried to leave his mark in the room until Blaine took his hand and led him over to the bed.

"You are way too tense. How about a backrub," Blaine offered and Kurt sank down on the edge of the bed as Blaine knelt down behind him. Blaine's fingers must be magical because soon Kurt felt himself relax into Blaine's grip and closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation.

Because he would be crazy if he managed to keep thinking about his family while Blaine was working his magic on his back and shoulders.

"You know it's not because I don't want people to know about us. I love that I can openly be with you here and no one says anything. It's just, my dad and I only had each other for six years after my mom died and I'm afraid to lose him over this. And there's Finn and Carole now as well. Finn was one of the boys who would tease me a few years back. What if they all hate me when they find out and won't even want me back home for Christmas and stuff like that, or take me back to Ohio with them? I can't risk it."

Blaine paused his massage and pulled Kurt against his chest. "I understand, trust me I do. I told you about my family and if you can tell me my parents' divorce wasn't my fault then you need to listen to me when I tell you that your admission won't destroy your family. And if it does, are they really the kinds of people you want in your life?"

Blaine was right. It shouldn't matter what others thought, but he wouldn't want to make his dad decide between him and his family if it came down to that. There was nothing wrong with staying quiet a bit longer. Not living at home did have its advantages.

For the time being though he decided to banish all unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind and relaxed further into his boyfriend's embrace. They would cross that bridge when they had to.

* * *

Four hours later, Kurt got a text from Mercedes telling him that they were in front of the dorm building and Kurt took Blaine's hand and led him toward the front door, only dropping his hand when they were in front of the door.

Before he could even notice the rest of the family, his father pulled him into a warm embrace and Kurt clung to his dad as tight as he could.

"I missed you so much, kiddo. We all did," his father whispered and Kurt felt tears welling up in his eyes, because being in his father's arms, he realized how much he had missed him as well.

"Me too, dad. I'm glad you could make it."

Once, he was released by his dad, Mercedes pounced and hugged him tightly as well.

"You look great," she told him before leaning in closer and whispering, "and Blaine looks mighty fine as well." Kurt could feel the blush rise on his cheeks and he quickly told her they could talk about that later.

Carole and Finn were next, Finn pulling him into an awkward one-armed hug, but when he stepped aside, Kurt had to work hard to keep his scowl of his face. Because there in all her reindeer sweater glory stood Rachel Berry.

"Rachel, what a surprise," he told her, keeping his face neutral for Finn's sake, because he knew how much his stepbrother liked the girl.

"Well Finn here convinced your parents to let me come as well because Mercedes was allowed to join them," she explained cheerfully, eyeing Blaine who was standing behind Kurt. Because I invited her, Kurt thought but still kept his fake smile on his face. From the corner of his eye he saw Mercedes role her eyes and he was glad to know she wasn't too happy about Rachel joining them as well. They probably even had to share a hotel room and Kurt was tempted to offer Mercedes his bed in the dorms, but unfortunately his dad would never allow that.

"And who is this?" Rachel asked pointing at Blaine and Kurt didn't like the way she looked at him, especially because she was standing right next to Finn.

"This is Blaine," Kurt explained and pulled Blaine up next to him. "He's my best friend here at NYADA."

Blaine ever the polite gentleman, immediately stepped forward and properly introduced himself to his dad and Carole and Kurt had to hide his smile when he thought about the effect Blaine had on grown ups.

"It's nice to finally meet you Blaine. Kurt won't stop talking about you," his dad said as he shook Blaine's hand and Kurt was glad his dad wasn't looking at him, because he was sure he was blushing like crazy. He didn't talk about Blaine that much, right?

"Would you like to join us for dinner, Blaine?" Carole took over. "Unless you have other plans of course." Blaine shook his head.

"My dad and my brother are only coming in for my first performance in two days, but I wouldn't want to impose on you family dinner."

And maybe there was something like too polite because Kurt really wanted Blaine to come to dinner with them.

"Nonsense dear, think of it as a friends and family of Kurt dinner," Carole assured him and to Kurt's relief Blaine agreed to join them for dinner.

"I found this perfect vegetarian restaurant online for us. I'd have preferred it if it were vegan but I was told not everyone would like that," Rachel butted in, her expression showing that she wasn't too happy that she had been overruled. Kurt thought it was preposterous enough of her to think she could dictate where a whole group of people should eat, but again he kept his mouth shut. At least at a vegetarian restaurant his dad would have to eat healthier than usual, but he wouldn't put it past him to order 'real food' as soon as they got back to their hotel. Aunt Kate had offered to host all of them for the week but his dad had decided that they would stay in the city for a couple of days so everyone got the chance to explore New York a bit.

"Maybe after dinner, I could show you my favorite karaoke bar," Blaine suggested when he saw the look on Kurt's face and Kurt saw his dad's eyebrows shoot up. Blaine must have caught it too because he quickly added. "Everyone is allowed to get in till ten o'clock but after it's 18 and over unless you are under adult supervision. Kurt told me you all sing as well, so I thought it could be fun."

His dad nodded at Blaine, and Mercedes and Rachel immediately chimed in saying that was a great idea. Carole just smiled, apparently happy that they all got along.

In the end the restaurant wasn't too bad but Kurt kept squirming in his seat as his dad asked Blaine all kinds of questions ranging from about his parents to whether he had a boyfriend at the moment. Kurt was too busy listening to his dad that he didn't even have time to see how the others reacted to Blaine being gay. Kurt had never been in a relationship before, but it felt a lot like he would expect meeting the boyfriend's parents for the first time would go.

Mercedes kept giving him what he hoped were subtle thumbs up during the dinner and Kurt couldn't wait to gush about Blaine in private. He just had to find a way to get rid of Finn and Rachel at some point.

He was talking to Carole about some new recipes she'd been trying out recently when Rachel addressed Blaine and Kurt stop abruptly right in the middle of his sentence and turned around.

"So, Blaine. I saw on the NYADA homepage that you didn't always go there. You have to tell me who you talked to so you could transfer in, because I'm sure as soon as they'll meet me they will beg me to transfer."

Kurt glared at her and even Blaine looked a bit taken aback.

"There were some special circumstances surrounding my transfer," he explained. "I'm sure they won't apply to you."

"Oh, like Kurt's," Rachel brattled on, oblivious to the tense atmosphere on the table.

"Um, Kurt wasn't a special case, he got in regularly with all the other freshman applicants," Blaine sounded puzzled and Kurt was glad Blaine came to his defense. Rachel next sentence made him ball his hands into fists though and only Blaine gently squeezing his knee under the table kept him from blowing up at her.

"Oh, come on. We all know Kurt only got in because he played the victim card, making it sound like he couldn't possibly go to a public high school because people were mean to him."

Even Finn looked shocked at Rachel's outburst but it was his dad who intervened.

"That's enough Rachel. I understand you are disappointed you couldn't audition for NYADA but we never talked to the school about Kurt's situation and I think broken bones are a bit more serious than some harsh words. Which you shouldn't be subjected to either."

Rachel promptly shut up, looking apologetic enough for his dad to buy it but Kurt didn't believe she was sorry for one second. He didn't understand why she couldn't just be happy for him for once, and was wondering why she was belittling his bullying when she had two dads who must have had a hard time in school as well.

"Maybe we should go to that karaoke bar another night," Carole suggested trying to keep the peace. "We are probably all tired from travelling and I for one, want to go sightseeing early tomorrow morning. It was nice having you join us, Blaine. We'll we see you tomorrow for the show?"

Blaine nodded and after Kurt said goodbye to his family and friend, he and Blaine walked back to the dorms holding hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Blaine asked on the way back, but Kurt shook his head. "Just hold my hand."

* * *

Burt was glad when he and Carole finally got back to their hotel room after making sure Finn went to his and Rachel and Mercedes to theirs. He knew Rachel and Kurt didn't get along too well because of some stupid rivalry, but he had been shocked by her behavior tonight and wasn't too happy about Finn just sitting there and letting his girlfriend talk this way about his brother.

And then there were Kurt and Blaine. He was sure Kurt had feelings for the other boy, judging by the way he kept looking at him, but he couldn't tell if Blaine reciprocated.

"Do you think there's something going on between Kurt and Blaine?" he asked his wife as he sat down on the bed to take his shoes off. Carole stopped unlacing her own and looked up.

"It's hard to tell. I think Kurt likes him and from the way Blaine looks at him when he thinks no one is watching I think he likes him too, but I can't say they are seeing each other or not. Would it be bad though if they were dating? Blaine seems like a nice young man."

Burt couldn't disagree. Blaine was polite and so far seemed to look out for Kurt. "He is a bit too old for Kurt though, isn't he? He is a junior after all."

Carole laughed. "I bet people were saying the same when you started dating you first wife. As long as Blaine treats him right, I don't see a reason why they shouldn't go out on a date."

Carole of course was right again. Elisabeth had still been in high school when they had met, while Burt was playing football in JC and had borrowed Elisabeth's high school's cheerleading team because they couldn't afford to have their own. Her parents hadn't been too happy that their little girl was dating a college student because the had been afraid she would get pregnant and would drop out of school. Their worries had been unfounded though and Elisabeth had even managed to graduate from college before Kurt was born.

"So you think they both like one another but aren't dating yet?" he asked to clarify and Carole nodded.

"I'm sure Kurt would tell you if he started dating someone. Your relationship is so special so I think you would know if he and Kurt were a couple."

Burt really hoped Kurt would tell him when he got his first boyfriend but if their relationship was as special as Carole said, why was Kurt still hiding things from him. He hated that his son was apparently afraid of him and wished he could just tell him he knew and it was okay but the books he had read on the subject all said to let the child come to you when it was ready. Well Burt hoped Kurt would be ready soon because it was exhausting always having to watch what he said and to keep every talk about relationships and dating gender neutral to let Kurt know he would be okay with it either way.

Maybe there was something he could have done differently when Kurt was growing up to show his son he could trust him, but he didn't know what. As soon as he and Elisabeth started suspecting that Kurt might be gay they had always made sure not to say anything negative about the topic, they stopped going to church and Burt even fired one employee who made homophobic jokes in the shop when Kurt was there. They had done everything to ensure Kurt would grow up in a safe environment where he could be whoever he wanted to be, but apparently it wasn't enough.

And maybe, but Burt didn't really think so, Kurt didn't know himself for sure yet. He had gone out on a date with a girl after all, or so he had said. All he knew was that everything would be a lot easier if he and Kurt could finally openly talk about the elephant in the room.


	9. 1x07: Meet the Family Pt2

**1x07 Meet the Family - Pt2**

Kurt was a nervous wreck as he was getting ready for his first New York performance and was now seriously regretting not allowing his friends and family backstage before the show. He could really need some reassuring words right now.

Kurt had been in school plays before but he had never had a role like this, one that required him to sing, act and dance. There was also the onstage kiss with Nick, the one they still hadn't done and were saving for opening night. What if he freaked out on Nick again when he tried to kiss him, and ruined the whole show for everyone else.

Disappointing everyone and being labeled the school freak wasn't the only thing worrying him though. He really wanted his first consensual kiss to be with Blaine, but since their discussion about it, Blaine hadn't even kissed him on the cheek unless Kurt had done it first and he was getting frustrated with himself. He was sure he was ready to kiss his boyfriend but he wanted it to be special this time and the opportunity for a huge romantic gesture just hadn't arisen yet and Kurt was running out of time.

He was getting more and more worked out up, so far gone into his own world, that he only realized Blaine coming up to him, when the junior and his huge bouquet of red roses were right in front of him and Kurt gasped because wow, those flowers were beautiful. Blaine must have gone all out for him.

"I love them," he gushed but refused to accept them from Blaine. "What if I cut myself and pass out or worse – fall into a hundred year sleep. I can't risk anything that could jeopardize my performance," he explained to Blaine who seemed to have a hard time keeping a straight face. He would have to deal with his boyfriend laughing at him later though.

To his surprise, Blaine gently put the flowers down on his make up chair, took his hand and led him away from the stage and into a small and empty classroom, maneuvering him until he was seated on the teacher's desk and Blaine was standing right in front of him.

"I know you are nervous but you really don't have to worry. I've seen you during rehearsals and you are amazing Kurt. You are going to blow them away," Blaine assured him and Kurt gave him a small smile. He still wasn't fully convinced that he wouldn't cause a disaster of epic proportions but he was ready to believe he wasn't a hopeless case.

"And even if something goes a bit wrong, the audience most likely won't even notice it unless you lose your cool and freak, so really, you can do whatever you want in case you forget the lyrics or something because we can always claim that was supposed to be like that. I forget the lyrics to songs all the time and make up my own and no one has ever questioned me about that. And if someone says something meant to you, they are stupid and not worthy of your time, because you are great and will be a huge star one day. I believe in you, which means you have to believe in yourself."

Blaine kept rambling on, telling Kurt how amazing he was, and Kurt knew he was falling in love with his boyfriend. Before he could catch himself he followed his instincts and leaned forward to briefly press his lips to Blaine's in a chaste kiss that maybe lasted two seconds.

Yes, when he had thought about his proper first kiss, Kurt had always envisioned it being super romantic, maybe at the end of a date, or after being serenaded by the boy he liked. Kissing someone in an empty classroom to shut them up had definitely not been on his list of approved first kiss locations. Was it less perfect though? No way. It had felt natural to lean in and kiss Blaine and he hadn't even had time to be nervous about it or freak out. He had just followed his instincts and he couldn't be happier.

Blaine looked a bit dazed before giving him a dazzling smile.

"You're going to be great out there, I know it," he whispered again and Kurt couldn't help himself either and leaned in again. Their second kiss lasted longer and was less chaste than the first as Kurt began to respond to the movement of Blaine's lips. When Blaine started to lick at his bottom lip he pulled back though, because he didn't want to move too fast and he also didn't want to mess up his makeup a few minutes before the show started.

Blaine didn't look fazed though and only pulled him into a tight hug before releasing him and whispering into his ear, "go get them."

Suddenly his nervous were pretty much gone, and Kurt walked backstage with a spring in his step after saying goodbye to his boyfriend, who would watch the show with his family.

Nick was waiting for him backstage, looking a bit anxious as well, but he relaxed when he saw Kurt approach.

"Are you ready to do this?" he asked and Kurt knew he was talking more about their stage kiss than about the show in general.

Kurt nodded, a smile still on his lips and Nick must have caught on to its meaning because he offered Kurt his fist for a fist bump and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'way to go dude".

Kurt tried not to blush as he touched his fist to Nick's, but in that moment he was just too happy to care. He had kissed Blaine and it had been wonderful.

* * *

After making sure Kurt was safely back behind the stage, he tried to stop grinning like crazy as to not alert everyone to the fact that Kurt had kissed him, and made his way into the auditorium to watch the performance with Kurt's friends and family. Everyone was already seated when he found them, but to his relief Kate moved over, so he could sit down between Kate and Mercedes away from Kurt's dad. He couldn't face Mr. Hummel right now and have to lie to his face, especially after what he had just shared with Kurt.

Blaine knew most of his friends would probably think he was crazy for acting the way he was over something as insignificant as a kiss, but it was important for him and Kurt and he wouldn't let anyone tell him otherwise.

Mercedes and Kate both kept trying to ask him questions about his relationship with Kurt, but Blaine was barely paying attention, keeping his eye on Kurt at all times. Kurt was as good as he had predicted he would be, but as the play was drawing to its close after a brief intermission during which a blunt Kate explained to Kurt's dad what 'My Junk' was all about, Blaine was starting to get nervous.

He had seen how Kurt had reacted the last time Nick had tried to kiss him on stage and he was just hoping Kurt would be able to pull it off this time without having a flashback. He had seemed fine when they had kissed, but Blaine was convinced that was only because Kurt was the one to start kissing him.

He only loosened up his grip on the arm rest when Mercedes leaned over and whispered "jealous?" into his ear and Blaine managed to shake his head as he released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding over the realization that the scene was over and everything had gone over well.

"Just worried about his family's reaction," he lied before subtle checking on the Hummel-Hudsons and Rachel. Mr. Hummel and Carole – as she had told him to call her – looked at ease but then again, he couldn't see Kurt's father's face very well in the dark auditorium. Finn was checking the score of some game on his phone, which he found incredibly rude, but at least he wasn't reacting negatively to Kurt kissing another boy, and Rachel was scribbling god knows what into a small notebook on her lap. He didn't check Mercedes and Kate's reactions because he knew they were okay with Kurt dating boys.

Once the show was over, they were waiting for Kurt in the foyer and even Blaine, who had been raised to be polite to people, had a hard time not to snap at Rachel as she went on and on about how she would have made a better Wendla and was hoping the Wendla to Blaine's Melchior would be better. Now at least he knew what she had been writing into that notebook.

Still, Blaine was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt but when she started criticizing Kurt's performance he had to take a step back so he wouldn't so something stupid. Maybe he should introduce her to his brother Cooper because they were both self-absorbed and arrogant when it came to their perceived talents. His brother always meant well though, and he hoped Rachel did too on some level and wasn't just a vicious bitch – pardon his French.

Again the family went out for dinner, this time though to a restaurant Kurt and Blaine had picked, which earned him a grateful smile from Mr. Hummel. Dinner was nice, as Rachel stopped her critique as soon as Kurt's parents were around, but Blaine got a bit flustered when Kurt's dad told him they would come to his show as well because Kurt said he was amazing on stage. Listening to Burt made him a bit sad as well, because he knew his own father would never be this excited about a performance of his unless it was piano or violin. Apparently it went over better in his father's circles to have a son who was a pianist than a son who liked to dress up for the stage and sang show tunes.

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving, Blaine?" Kurt's aunt asked him while they waited for dessert to be served. "Are you going home or staying in the city with your family?"

Blaine shrugged. "I'll probably cook dinner with the other students who can't be with their families. I don't think my dad is going to stay this long or take me back to Ohio with him." He didn't like the pitying looks he received because it was what it was. He knew his father cared, but after the divorce he had thrown himself into work and was usually too busy to spend much time with his son. At least they would spend Christmas together.

… okay, Blaine?" Blaine looked up when he heard his name and blushed when he realized he had missed Kate's question. "Sorry, what?" he asked, hoping his face wasn't turning too red.

"You should come to my house in New Jersey for Thanksgiving dinner if you can't be with your family," Kurt's aunt repeated. Blaine was conflicted. He wanted to spend Thanksgiving with Kurt, but after catching the look Mr. Hummel threw in Kate's direction, he decided he'd better decline. However, before he could say anything on the subject, Kate assured him she wouldn't accept a no unless Blaine had family plans by then.

Blaine would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to a big family dinner with homemade pies and turkey that wasn't bought at a restaurant. He just wished he didn't have to lie to Kurt's family about his relationship with Kurt. But he also knew Kurt needed to tell them on his own terms, so for the time being he would try to enjoy their time spent together and try not to slip up in front of Kurt's family.

* * *

The next morning, Kurt invited Mercedes over while his dad and Carole were out sightseeing and Rachel was dragging Finn around as well. He wanted to introduce his best girl from Ohio to his new girlfriends because he wanted all of them to get along.

Santana, Brittany and a reluctant Quinn were already lounging on his and Jeff's bed when Kurt got a text from Mercedes telling him she was outside. He quickly went to the front door to let her in, after instructing the girls not to touch anything.

Maybe he should just stop trying because when he got back, Brit had her head in his closet and Santana was going through his drawers while Quinn sat on the window ledge blowing smoke out into the cold November air. Kurt glared at her until she rolled her eyes and stabbed the cigarette out, before turning to Brit and San, while Mercedes looked on, probably bewildered by his friends' behaviors.

"Britt, I told you before. My clothes don't fit you, so hands off. Satan, why are you going through my drawers again?" he asked going for exasperated but ending up sounding fond instead of strict.

"Just trying to find the porn I'm sure you must have. I know you are not getting any from the hobbit, so I assume your right hand is your best friend," Santana answered blunt as ever and Kurt felt his face color.

As a teenage boy, of course he had tried to watch those movies last summer after Finn's friend Puck had sent him a link to his surprise. However, he had slammed his laptop shut the moment the two men on the screen started going at it because all he could think about were their families and what would they think if they knew what their children were doing or accidentally came across a video like that. He hadn't tried again after, preferring his own rather PG fantasies that heavily featured Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Lautner.

Sex was something he thought about in the abstract but not as something that had anything to do with him. Society had been doing its best to tell him that sleeping with another man was wrong and so far it was working, because Kurt mostly just felt guilty if he thought about another boy when he tried to touch himself.

Kurt shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts while he shooed Santana away from his drawers. "Sorry to disappoint you San, but we aren't all depraved like you," he shot back at her with probably more heat than was warranted in this situation, but he couldn't help it that talk about sex made him uncomfortable.

"Um, hi. I'm Mercedes, Kurt's best friend from Lima," Mercedes tried to lighten up the atmosphere as she fully stepped into the room and introduced herself for which Kurt was immensely grateful.

He sank back onto his own bed and watched the girls get to know each other for a few minutes. He was glad they seemed to be getting along, because he had feared that Mercedes would feel neglected if he talked about and hung out with the other girls a lot.

"So, are you all staying in New York for Thanksgiving as well?" Mercedes asked when Kurt tuned back in. All three of them shook their heads and Kurt felt bad for Santana when he caught her expression. He knew that she wanted to go home but couldn't.

"San and I are spending Thanksgiving with my family," Brittany exclaimed excitedly "And afterward she is going to introduce me to her mom." Kurt looked at Santana in surprise and she gave him a short nod before narrowing her eyes signaling that Kurt was not to question it.

"What about you Quinn?" he asked instead. Quinn just glared.

"My father has ordered me to come home so the family can go to church together and show everyone we are still a family. As if going to church will somehow make it okay that he is sleeping with his secretary, my mom thinks wine is acceptable for breakfast and my sister pretends to be in a catholic college while working in a bar in San Francisco. And they think I'm the black sheep of the family."

That was probably the most he had ever heard Quinn say about her life and it made him realize that just because she was a straight white girl from the east coast didn't mean her life was problem free and her family without faults.

He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, not wanting to risk her anger by offering up some platitudes.

Mercedes was the one who diffused the situation again. "You promised to tell me all about Blaine as soon as we got rid of your parents, so spill," she demanded and Kurt suddenly was smiling like crazy again.

"We kissed," he announced happily. When no one reacted he added. "On the lips." Mercedes gave him a thumbs up but the other girls were staring at him like he had grown a second head.

"That's all?" Santana asked incredulously. "You are both hot guys and neither of you can get pregnant. If I were you I would be all over that."

Kurt felt his face color even more but he was also getting angry. Why did they have to belittle his experience? Just because the girls apparently didn't have a problem doing god knows what with boys and girls that early in their lives, didn't mean he had to do the same things. He and Blaine had just started dating so they definitely weren't in a rush to progress further. He was sure Blaine would give him all the time he needed.

Santana seemed to realize though that what she had said was pissing Kurt off because she quickly backtracked. "I'm just surprised this is your big news. I mean, you've been dating for like a few weeks now."

"Don't listen to San," Britt chimed in. "She's just teasing. We both want you two dolphins to be happy and have dolphin babies."

Catching Mercedes' confused expression he leaned in and whispered, "I'll explain later," into her ear.

"But seriously," Santana started again, clearly not ready to fully give up on embarrassing Kurt. "If you ever need something, lube, condoms, toys, or whatever else floats your boat, I'm your girl. I do demand to know all the dirty details in exchange for my discreet services."

Kurt groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Santana and Quinn could be a pain in the ass, but he was still thankful that Britt, San and Quinn were in his life now as well. Maybe he was a masochist or something like that.

* * *

AN: I hope you don't think their first kiss was anticlimactic but I like things progressing naturally and it felt right for me in that situation. The rest should be up in a few days...


	10. 1x07: Meet the Family final part

**1x07 Meet the Family - Pt3**

Blaine was also nervous before his first show but not for the reason Kurt thought when his boyfriend came up to him and tried to give him a pep talk as well. Sweet as it was, it wasn't really helping.

See, Blaine had lied to his dad about his performance to get him to New York. He had been sure his father wouldn't come for a musical theater performance, so, and because he really wanted the support of his family, he had invited him to a piano concert.

On top of that, he also wanted to introduce Kurt to his father as his boyfriend and he wasn't sure that would go over well either. His father seemed to have found his peace with the fact that Blaine was gay, but who knew if he'd still be okay with it if Blaine acted on it.

He explained all that to Kurt while he was busy freaking out, and therefore nearly missed his father and Cooper walking up to them. His father's expression was sour, while Cooper was all smiles as always and Blaine heard Kurt gasp next to him as the two men approached.

"You're brother is Cooper Anderson. Oh my god, his soap is my guilty pleasure," his boyfriend gushed and Blaine rolled his eyes. His older brother had finally found a paying acting gig and was now acting as if he was next in line for an Emmy. He didn't need Kurt fawning over him as well.

"Blaine, there seems to have been some mix up as the posters outside seem to suggest you are starring in a musical," were the first words out of his father's mouth and Blaine shifted uneasily.

"I'm sorry for lying to you dad, but I really wanted to show you that I'm good at what I do. I even got the lead role," he pleaded with his father, wanting him to understand how much that meant to him. He felt Kurt give his hand a gentle squeeze and gave him a grateful smile before looking back at his father who still didn't look too happy.

"You know what I think about that Blaine. I really believe you should stick with piano and violin. Both your teachers have told me you are talented enough to make it and I don't want you to throw away your chances to play with the Philharmonics one day."

Blaine sighed. Yes his was good with those instruments but his heart wasn't in it anymore. Nowadays he mostly used the piano when he was working on one of his own songs and a guitar was now substituting his violin for the same purposes.

"Your son is a really talented performer as well, Mr. Anderson," Kurt piped up from next to him and his dad finally seemed to realize that they weren't alone. Cooper had gone back to his phone as soon as he had waved in their direction and had given Kurt his signature smile.

"And who's this?" he asked and his tone of voice suggested that he had already figured out the truth.

"Kurt Hummel, sir." His boyfriend bravely stepped forward and offered his hand to shake, and to Blaine's relief his father took it after a few seconds.

"Is Kurt your boyfriend, Blaine?" he asked after letting go of Kurt's hand and Blaine nodded.

"Now Blaine, it's not that I don't want you to be in a relationship, but do you have to date child? If you have to date boys, couldn't you find someone who was at least legal?"

From the corner of his eye he saw Kurt first blush and then pale. Great, that was exactly what he had been afraid of before he started dating Kurt. That people might not be okay with it because Kurt was younger and still looked quite young.

"With all due respect, sir. I'm fifteen – so not that much younger than Blaine," Kurt defended himself and Blaine finally unfroze to come to Kurt's defense as well.

"Yeah dad, we are really not that far apart and in a few years it won't matter at all. Can't you just be happy for me?" Apparently he wasn't above begging to get his father's approval.

"I think you make a cute couple," Cooper suddenly joined the conversation and Blaine was surprised that for once his brother wasn't criticizing his choices, so he gave him a grateful smile. Cooper just shrugged before he buried his nose in his Blackberry again.

"Fine," his father concedes as well. "Why don't you join us for dinner Kurt the next time we are in the same state if you boys are still going out by then," he suggested and Blaine hated that his father was implying that they wouldn't be together long.

"Can't we all go to dinner after the show tonight?" he asked, ignoring his father's jibe.

His father shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't stay after the show. I have some meetings to attend before I fly back to Ohio. Maybe your brother can stay though. I'm sure he isn't as busy as I am."

Well, at least his father still hadn't figured out how to talk to either of his sons. Cooper looked up briefly and gave him a short nod, which Blaine interpreted as a yes to dinner.

"How long are you in town for Cooper?" Kurt asked, apparently still enamored with his brother, and Blaine tried to suppress his jealousy. His brother was straight after all and definitely too old for Kurt.

"I have to fly back to L.A tomorrow. Important meeting with my agent, you know," Cooper announced but Blaine wasn't surprised that his brother wasn't staying in town either.

"Well it was nice meeting you, Kurt. Cooper lets go and see what Blaine has dragged us to," his father said after a glance at his watch. Blaine watched him walk away, telling himself over and over again that his father loved him, but didn't know how to express it properly.

"You can expect a full performance review at dinner, Squirt. Kurt will you be joining us?" Cooper addressed Kurt, after reminding him that he would never be good enough for the great Cooper Anderson. The only nice thing without expecting anything in return his brother had ever done for him, was convincing his dad to let him come to NYADA and Blaine wasn't sure for how much longer that would be enough to excuse the rest of his horrible behavior.

Kurt shrugged next to him. "I have to talk to my dad first, but if he says yes, I'd love to join you. Maybe you can tell me some more about Hollywood."

Blaine was aware that he was holding Kurt's hand tighter than strictly necessary but he just hated that Kurt was fawning over his brother.

"You okay?" Kurt asked him once Cooper had left to find his seat as well. Blaine shrugged. "It is what it is. My dad loves me but he is not a people person," he explained.

Kurt fully turned to face him and he could see that his boyfriend wasn't buying it. "I'm not talking about your dad. I'm talking about your reaction to your brother. I nearly lost circulation there for a second."

Blaine immediately felt guilty for hurting Kurt because of his own insecurities. "I'm sorry. I just hate that everyone seems to think Cooper is oh so great and I'm just the stupid little brother who can do nothing right."

Great, Kurt must think he was a total freak. To his surprise though, Kurt just leaned in and pressed a small kiss to his lips.

"I'm sorry. I'll try and tone it down. It's just that I have never met anyone before who works in TV and I got a little overexcited," he apologized after they separated and Blaine tried to chase Kurt's lips for a moment.

"It's okay, Kurt. It's my problem not yours. Now, why don't you go find your seat and let me freak out a bit more about my father actually watching me perform in a musical," he told Kurt after taking a look at his own watch.

Kurt surprised him with another small kiss before heading off to find his family and Blaine could keep the smile of his face after the kiss. As long as Kurt kept kissing him to cheer him up, he would gladly deal with his annoying family anytime.

* * *

Dinner that night with Blaine's brother had been interesting and after spending a few hours with the older Anderson, Kurt was starting to understand his boyfriend's frustratrations with his brother. He was like Blaine's personal Rachel, only Cooper seemed to think he was doing what was best for his brother and not out of spite.

The next few days before Thanksgiving and before Mercedes had to fly back to Ohio were spent exploring the city. Kurt hadn't been too happy to hear that Rachel would stay the whole week but with Blaine probably joining them for Thanksgiving dinner he had no grounds to argue against her presence.

He had made all those plans for him, Mercedes and Blaine, but unfortunately his dad and Carole had insisted that Rachel and Finn join them for their exploration of the city because Carole was worried Finn might wander off and got lost.

Blaine and the girls were walking a few steps ahead when Finn joined him, probably to give them some privacy in case the brothers wanted to talk.

"So, uh. I wanted to say I think it's really cool what you're doing here," Finn said after they'd been walking in silence for a while. Kurt raised an eyebrow at that but refrained from telling Finn that he knew he was watching a game on his phone during the show.

"You're in Glee Club. It isn't really that different," Kurt shrugged, wondering if Finn really only had come up to him for small talk.

"Yeah dude, but this is New York. Who knows who could be watching you perform. Nobody cares about a small Ohio show choir apart from Rachel and Harmony."

"How is Harmony?" Kurt asked, knowing fully well that this was a sore subject for Finn. Finn had been chasing after Harmony most of his sophomore year and only after he had realized that that was never going to happen, had he given in to Rachel's advances. Another reason for Rachel to hate Harmony, Kurt was sure.

"Good I guess. I saw her with Puck at Breadstix a few times," Finn told him, aiming for nonchalantly but Kurt could tell that it hurt him that she was going for his best friend when she had never given him the time of the day.

They walked in silence after that for another few blocks, while Rachel was chatting Blaine and Mercedes' ears off in front of them.

"Is there a reason why you wanted to talk to me, Finn?" Kurt finally asked, itching to get back to Blaine. Finn looked mildly uncomfortable or confused – it was often hard to tell with Finn – for a moment before he finally spit it out.

"Is it like a New York thing to hold hands with dudes?" Kurt looked at him in alarm. "Why would you think that?" he asked trying not to panic.

"It's just that you and Blaine were holding hands while we were walking and I guess I got curious."

Kurt's head was spinning. He hadn't even realized that he and Blaine were holding hands with Rachel and Finn around. At least Finn didn't look disgusted, just confused.

"Or are the rumors about you true?" Finn soldiered on and Kurt froze next to him. Of course Finn was aware of the rumors. After all he was one of the boys who had made fun of him in junior high and hadn't stopped his friends from calling Kurt names either once their parents started dating.

He wanted to deny the accusation immediately because that's what he was used to do, but then he stopped himself. He was sick of having to hide this part of himself and now that he was with Blaine, he wanted everyone to know how happy the older boy made him. Just not his dad right now.

"Blaine's my boyfriend," he blurted out instead of the perfectly grafted speech he had planed to give Finn if he was ever ready to tell him. "And you can't tell anyone. Especially not Rachel. If you tell her all of McKinley is going to know the next day and I do have to spend the summer in Lima."

Yep, his brain to mouth filter was definitely off today, but blunt often worked better with Finn, so maybe it was for the best.

"Okay, okay. I won't say anything to her. But seriously, you and him, you are, like, dating? How does that even work?" Kurt shot Finn an incredulous look. Was his stepbrother serious?

"It's not different than you and Rachel dating. Only we have to deal with people calling us names and hating that we are a couple. And that's why you can't tell anyone. You know how people were treating me even when there were just rumors about me."

Finn at least had the decency to look guilty after that and he promised again that he wouldn't say anything unless Kurt told him he could.

"And if you really need to talk to someone about this, you can talk to Mercedes or aunt Kate. They both know as well," Kurt conceded because knowing Finn, he knew his brother would want to talk to someone about his weird brother.

Kurt still couldn't tell if Finn was okay with it or not, so he bit the bullet and just came out and asked.

"I don't know dude. I mean now that I know you, you are pretty cool and fun to hang out with and I guess you are still the same person you were before you told me. So I guess it's cool. Just don't make out in front of me or something like that. I really don't want to see that."

Kurt knew he should be offended by that, but Finn's reaction was still a lot better than expected so he let it go. At least he seemed to be accepting, which was more than Kurt could have hoped to get from Finn.

Feeling that the conversation was over they joined the others again and when Blaine brushed the back of his hand as they were walking behind Rachel and Finn, Kurt slipped his hand back into Blaine's and gave him a small smile.

"Everything okay with you and your brother? You were talking for quite a bit?" Blaine asked quietly and Kurt nodded. "I'll tell you late, but I think everything is going to be okay."

They split up after lunch vowing not to tell the parents about it and spent a great afternoon showing Mercedes their favorite spots. So far the family visit had gone great, Kurt thought and he hoped that Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be any different.

* * *

As expected Cooper and his dad were gone by the time Thanksgiving came around and so Blaine had to accept Kate's invitation to join Kurt's family for dinner in New Jersey.

He was looking through his closet trying to find the perfect outfit when his door flew open and Wes and David bounded in.

"What's this we hear about you and Kurtie making out in the halls of this great school?" Wes went straight to the point of their visit and Blaine rolled his eyes. News did travel fast at NYADA, though he had no idea who would have told on him and Kurt in the first place.

"We didn't make out Wesley, it was just a simple kiss," Blaine told him without stopping going through his closet.

"Watch out Wes, he called you Wesley. But seriously man. Spill." David of course had to join in on teasing him.

"There's nothing to spill. We kissed, the end," Blaine explained as he finally found a bowtie that worked well with his dark green button up.

"You're smiling like you just won the lottery. There has to be more to it than that," Wes didn't give up and as much as Blaine loved his friends, right now he just wanted to kick them out of his room, to find the perfect outfit to impress Kurt with in peace.

"Honestly guys, that's all there is. Could you leave me alone now? I have to find an outfit for Thanksgiving dinner," he told his two friends who had flopped down on his bed.

"Where are you going that you need a fancy outfit? Sorry by the way that you can't celebrate with us but the parents insist we're coming home this year."

Blaine waved Wes off. He was happy that his friends' parents seemed more interested in spending time with their children than his own father.

"Is your dad still in town? I thought you said he left after the show?" David continued and Blaine shook his head. "No, he and Cooper already left."

From the corner of his eye he saw Wes and David share a look and Blaine knew he was in for another round of teasing.

"Lets see. Keen to get rid of us, nervous about his clothes and weirdly calm about the fact that his dad is acting like a douche again," David started off, counting Blaine's 'offenses', before Wes took over.

"Dr. Thompson, there is only one possible reason. Blaine is spending Thanksgiving with Kurt." Blaine rolled his eyes at their antics again, but nodded because there was no hiding anything from them.

"Not with Kurt, with Kurt and his family. His family who thinks I'm just his best friend who was left behind in the city." Blaine sighed. It would be so much easier if he and Kurt could be open about their relationship. And maybe not, because what if Mr. Hummel shared his own father's opinion?

"Relax, Blaine. Parents love you. Teachers love you. I can't think of a single grown up you can't charm the socks off," David tried to comfort him as Blaine muttered darkly, "my dad." But his friends were right. Kurt's family already liked him and if he didn't do something stupid like hold Kurt's hand on the dinner table or kiss him when his dad was around, everything should be all right.

And so Blaine found himself at lot calmer than the day before in front of the dorms with Kurt where they were waiting for Kurt's aunt to pick them up. The rest of the family was already at Kate's house getting a head start on dinner preparations and Blaine was glad to have a few more minutes alone with Kurt before he had to revert back to the role of best friend.

"I'm so happy you're joining us for dinner," Kurt told him, the hand that wasn't holding his small suitcase entwined with Blaine's. Blaine's own overnight bag was on the floor in front of him, because Kate insisted he'd stay the night as well and return to the city with Kurt bright and early for Black Friday shopping.

"Me too. Beats trying to cook something edible in the dorm kitchen," he answered, shuddering a bit. The students who only left right before Christmas usually cooked a Christmas dinner, and Blaine had spent the whole plane ride to Ohio the previous year trying not to throw up on the plane thanks to the food he had the day before.

The sound of a car horn broke the spell they had both suddenly found themselves in and they hurried over to Kate's car that was parked in the second lane and was already being honked at by angry drivers. Again, Blaine was grateful that he had taken his driving test the previous summer in Ohio instead of New York.

Before he knew it they were at Kate's house and Blaine helped her unload the trunk and carry their luggage into the house.

Finn and Mr. Hummel were both on the couch watching Ohio State play Michigan, so he assumed Rachel was helping Carole in the kitchen. Blaine stared at the game longingly for a moment before offering his help in the kitchen as well but Kurt must have caught his expression and told him to watch the game before he could poison them all with his 'help'.

He knew Kurt would accept a no and so he sat down on the couch next to Finn, trying to ignore the looks both Finn and Mr. Hummel were giving him. He knew Kurt had told Finn about them and so he thought that was because of Kurt's confession. He just hoped that Kurt's dad wasn't looking at him for the reason he feared.

"Nice to see you again, Blaine," he finally said and Blaine smiled at him politely. "Thanks for having me, sir." Luckily Michigan scored a touch down at that moment and all eyes were back on the screen. Blaine gladly joined the cursing of Michigan even though he wasn't the biggest Ohio fan, because it got him off the hook with Mr. Hummel.

Dinner went without any incidents thankfully and even Kurt and Rachel managed to be polite to each other. Blaine was sitting opposite Kurt and at least this way he couldn't be tempted into holding Kurt's hand. It had been a while since he had been at a large family gathering – ever since his parents' divorce it was usually just him, Cooper and his dad – and so Blaine enjoyed listening to the family exchanging stories about their lives or hearing childhood stories about Kurt, much to Kurt's chagrin.

They had dessert in Kate's living room while watching a movie but after the movie was over Mr. Hummel announced that he was going to bed.

"Kurt, you are with Finn and Blaine with Rachel, if that is okay for you Rachel?" Burt announced as he gathered up his things.

"Why can't Kurt stay with Blaine?" Rachel asked innocently, and Blaine guessed that Finn hadn't managed to keep his mouth shut. But at least she hadn't said anything to Kurt's parents. Next to him Burt tensed before he chuckled.

"Sorry Rachel, but that would leave you with Finn and I'm sure your dads wouldn't be too happy if I allowed that." Blaine's eyes widened when he heard that Rachel had two fathers and he hoped that was enough to not get outed by her.

He of course also suspected that Mr. Hummel knew about his son and wanted to keep him out of Blaine's room for that reason, but he had promised not to tell Kurt about his father's suspicions so he kept his mouth shut and just nodded.

He and Kurt waited until everyone else was gone, before Blaine walked his boyfriend up to his and Finn's guest room where he gave him a chaste kiss goodnight, mindful of the other people in the house.

"See that went well, " Kurt whispered and Blaine nodded. He just wished that he could attend the next Hummel family dinner as Kurt's official boyfriend because he wanted Kurt's dad to keep liking him and he wasn't so sure if it would still be the case if he found out they had been lying to him for months.

* * *

As it was often the case when he didn't sleep in his own house, Burt couldn't sleep and so when the clock struck two, he carefully got out of bed and went downstairs for a belated midnight snack. Both Carole and Kurt had only allowed him one slice of pie and he was dying for another bit.

He had his head in the fridge, rummaging through the containers, when there was a noise behind him and Burt banged his head against the fridge door. Cursing quietly he turned around and came face to face with his son, who had an unimpressed expression on his face.

"Uhm, I couldn't sleep and was getting a glass of water," he tried but Kurt just glared at him, before heading over to the counter and getting two glasses for them.

"Nice try dad." Burt accepted one of the glasses and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Can't sleep either?" he asked his son, who flopped down rather gracelessly next to him. Kurt shook his head. "Finn snores," he explained.

Both Hummel men drank their water in silence for a bit before Burt cleared his throat.

"So Blaine seems to be a nice guy," he said hoping he could get Kurt to talk to him, but Kurt just nodded and went back to his drink. Burt wasn't willing to give up that easy though.

"I was surprised to hear he doesn't have a boyfriend. Surely there must be other boys like him at your school. It's New York after all. People don't are about that kind of thing here, right?"

Burt saw Kurt's grip on the glass tighten but then his son gave him a fake smile. "I suppose. There's this guy at school who is constantly after Blaine, but he is a jerk."

Burt was met with silence again after that, but Kurt seemed to visibly relax.

"And how about you? Anyone you want me to meet?" Burt broke the silence yet again and Kurt shook his head. "I'm trying to focus on school right now. I still have plenty of time to date when I'm older."

If he could make all the decisions in his son's life his son wouldn't be dating till he was at least thirty but he also wanted his son to be happy. He didn't want his son not to date anyone because he was afraid his dad might disapprove.

"If you say so, but know that as long as you don't date some psychopath I'm happy for you okay?" The longer they talked the more relaxed Kurt seemed to become and Burt counted that as a win. He needed Kurt to know that he could trust him.

"And at school, everything is good, right? I don't have to expect another call from the principle anytime soon, right?"

Burt had been beyond worried when he had gotten a call from Kurt's school about some bullying incident, especially after the school refused to give him all the details. He had hoped Kurt would tell him what had happened, but as always his son wasn't telling him anything.

"Yes dad, everything is okay. No one is letting me get hurt this time around, I promise. I'm just super busy with regular classes and all the performing arts ones and with finals coming up soon, I'm going to be even busier. But I'm really happy to be there."

With that his son got up and left the kitchen to brave Finn's snoring again as he said.

Pie forgotten Burt stared after Kurt a bit longer. Some days he had been asking himself if he had made the right decision sending Kurt to New York, but hearing his son say he was happy – something that had become rarer and rarer over the past couple of years – assured him he had done the right thing.

His son might be hundreds of miles away but at least he was safe and happy.

* * *

Kurt's parents were there when he got up ridiculously early to accompany Kurt for Black Friday shopping in Manhattan. He could barely keep his eyes open and gladly accepted the cup of coffee Carole handed him. How Kurt could look so composed this early in the morning was a mystery for Blaine.

While Kurt was saying goodbye to his family, Blaine brought their bags outside to the cab that would take them to the train station – Kate was still asleep and couldn't drive them – and when he turned Mr. Hummel was there, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm.

"Before I forget. You are welcome to come by the house if you are in Ohio for Christmas. Same goes for any other friends of Kurt's who are from the same area."

Blaine gave him a sleepy smile. "That would be nice, sir. I'll let Kurt's other friends know." He thought that was the end of the conversation, but apparently Mr. Hummel wasn't done yet.

"I'm glad Kurt found you. You are a good friend." There was a heavy emphasis on friend that Blaine wanted to ignore so he just nodded. "I'm glad he is my friend too. It's nice to be with someone who likes the same things and doesn't make fun of me for liking things like Vogue."

Mr. Hummel looked puzzled but before they could say anything else, Kurt came out of the house and after another quick goodbye to his dad, they both got into the cab.

Once they were out of sight, Kurt moved closer and Blaine loosely wrapped his arm around him, trying not to fall asleep on top of Kurt. He was too tired to worry about Kurt's dad and maybe by the time Christmas came around things would be different.

* * *

Kurt dropped the bags from his shopping exploits on his bed as Blaine dropped down dramatically onto Jeff's. Kurt just rolled his eyes fondly at the older boy. He really had to take Blaine shopping more often to get him used to it.

Blaine had been quiet most of the day, which Kurt had chalked up to little sleep but now that they were relaxing in Kurt's dorm room, with the door open a bit to appease any teachers who might check up on them, Blaine was still quiet.

"Everything okay?" he finally asked. Blaine sat up and before he could open his mouth, Kurt added. "Tell me the truth."

"I just hated lying to your dad about us. I'm sure he suspects something with the way he looked at me and then there was the way he said friend this morning," his boyfriend finally said but what he was saying wasn't making much sense.

"I don't like it either and I think I might be ready to tell him soon, okay? But I need to do it on my own terms. Now I don't just have to tell him that I'm gay but that I have a boyfriend as well. He might be okay with the first one, but I don't know how he'd react to me actually dating a boy."

Blaine had moved over to his bed while he was talking and Kurt leaned against his boyfriend's strong shoulder, enjoying the way his head fit perfectly between his head and shoulder as Blaine was a few inches taller than him.

"And I know you are worried about my dad not liking you anymore once he finds out, but I promise I'll tell him I wouldn't let you tell him, okay? I know you want to do the right thing but I'm not there yet."

He didn't understand what was still holding him back, especially after his dad's easy acceptance of Blaine and the way he talked to him about dating, but something inside of him stopped him every time he wanted to tell his father.

They sat in silence for a bit, just enjoying each other's company when Blaine leaned in and whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry I kept pushing you. I promise from now on I will drop it. Whenever you are ready I'm going to be here for you."

Kurt thought he couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend.

* * *

**Next up** on NYADA Freshman Year. NYADA prepares for its annual Christmas party, the students get tortured with finals and in class performances and three Ohio natives brave the icy streets to get back to Ohio in time for Christmas. All is not well at the Hudmel home though with Kurt and Finn fighting just before Christmas. Plus, New Year's resolutions and New Year's kisses.

I'm not making any promises about the update. Could be next week but unfortunately could also be next month. If you'd prefer it, I could post it in parts again so you don't have to wait too long.


	11. 1x08: Merry Christmas, Darling Pt1

**AN: **Sorry for the delay – I got distracted by my NaNo story. But at least you get the first part of the Christmas episode before Christmas ;)

**1x08: Merry Christmas, Darling**

_Previously on NYADA – Freshman Year. The Hummel – Hudson family arrived in the city for Kurt's New York stage debut Tension arose when Kurt met Blaine's dad but an agreement to have dinner soon was reached. Burt remained suspicious of the nature of Kurt and Blaine's relationship, but Kurt maintained that they are just friends. Which they definitely are not, because hey, they kissed. And that's what you missed on NYADA – Freshman Year._

The weeks leasing up to Christmas break were stressful as Kurt was preparing for his first ever high school finals, which included final presentations for voice, dance and acting as well as the academic ones, while simultaneously rehearsing for the NYADA Christmas party for which he and Blaine had snagged a duet.

Most days, he, Santana, Quinn and Brittany sat together in the library where they were often joined by Nick, Jeff and Blaine as well as Blaine's best friends Wes and David, who as seniors were even more stressed out.

The time he cherished the most though was when he and Blaine spent time alone together. They often told their friends they had to go and practice their song, and if not a lot of rehearsing was actually done, who could blame him – Blaine was seriously hot after all.

Unfortunately, taking it slow meant that their kisses remained chaste and if Kurt wasn't afraid of making a fool out of himself, he would have put his tongue into Blaine's mouth by now instead of waiting for Blaine to make the first move. Not having any proper kissing experience really sucked from time to time.

As always his math homework was giving him grief when Blaine knocked on his door Sunday evening and Kurt was glad for the momentary distraction.

"You look like you could use a break," his boyfriend remarked after kissing him hello and Kurt sighed. "Yeah, but I shouldn't."

Blaine took his math book out of his hand and put it on his desk. "Come on. Put some clothes on, we are going out."

Kurt groaned. "But math," he tried to argue but Blaine cut him off. "I'll get Wes to explain it to you again when we get back. So get dressed."

Kurt let himself be dragged off his bed and put on his new Zara coat and his black riding boots, because it had snowed the last couple of days and the sidewalks were covered in dirty slush.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he and Blaine left the building hand in hand. "It's a surprise," Blaine replied, before miming zipping his lips shut when Kurt wouldn't stop badgering him about it.

It was crowded on the subway during their brief ride and Kurt was glad when they got off again. His eyes widened when he saw where Blaine had led him.

"It's beautiful," he whispered.

They were standing in front of a huge Christmas tree on Rockefeller Plaza, surrounded by tourists and New Yorkers alike.

"It's your first Christmas in New York and so far you've only seen the lights on campus. I thought it was time to show you what Christmas here is like," Blaine explained.

Kurt took a quick look around before he got onto his toes and quickly kissed Blaine. "Fortunately, no one commented and so Kurt dared to kiss Blaine again just because he could.

Once he untangled himself from Blaine's embrace his eyes roamed over the plaza until he spotted something else he found exciting.

"Can we go ice skating, Blaine? Please?" he pretty much begged while Blaine made a face.

"I suck at ice skating," he admitted, "but if you really want to, there's a bigger rink in Central Park. I really don't want all these people here watch me when I fall on my ass."

Kurt chuckled. "I'll hold your hand, promise." Blaine pretended to mull it over before he let out a fake sigh. "You had me at holding my hand."

They slowly made their way over to Central Park where Kurt got them some hot chocolate while Blaine waited in line to rent them skates.

Half an hour later, Kurt was laughing so hard he nearly fell himself because Blaine hadn't exaggerated. He did really suck at ice skating, falling over every time Kurt let go of his hand. A sharp tug on his pant leg made him lose his balance as well and he joined his pouting boyfriend on the floor.

"You promised not to let go," Blaine whined, but Kurt just patted his head fondly. "Would you have learned to ride a bicycle if no one ever had let go?" he asked still laughing as Blaine tried to get up and fell over again.

"Touché," his boyfriend replied before using his puppy dog eyes on Kurt. "Help."

Kurt gracefully got up, before he pulled Blaine up as well. They managed another few rounds, Kurt skating backward, pretty much pulling Blaine forward before they collapsed on a bench outside the rink.

"I've said it before, but thank you for forcing me to take a break," he told Blaine as they were walking back to school, crossing through Central Park. "I had a great time."

"I'm glad you liked it. Wes and David took me out last year when I was still new at NYADA and I really fell in love with the city then. Christmas isn't my favorite time of the year, but New York helped me get a new appreciation for it."

Kurt gently squeezed Blaine's hand. His boyfriend had been opening up about his family lately and Kurt was happy Blaine trusted him enough to tell him things he didn't even tell Wes or David.

"Are you going to see your mom for Christmas?" Kurt asked, once they were back in his dorm room. Blaine shrugged. "I really don't think so and as long as she can't hold her tongue around me, I really don't want her around.

Kurt nodded. "You can always come over to my house if things are bad at yours. I'm only a two hour drive away," Kurt reminded him, before Blaine left to send Wes over.

Blaine gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, I really appreciate it Kurt."

* * *

Later that night, after he had finally finished his math homework with Wes' help, Kurt curled up on his bed and called Mercedes.

"Hey," she greeted him. "I was about to call you myself." Kurt laughed. He couldn't wait to spend tons of time with her during break.

"So what's going on at McKinley," Kurt asked her after filling her in on his magical afternoon. Mercedes groaned. "Don't ask. Mr. Schuester forced us to go caroling from classroom to classroom and people threw stuff at us."

"That sucks," Kurt told her. "But I'm sure you sounded great." "Of course I did, even though I didn't get a solo again, but at least this way people weren't directly aiming at me."

"You'll get your chance," Kurt assured his best friend, "because you are fabulous and extremely talented."

"Thanks, boo. Speaking of fabulous and extremely talented. When are you coming back to town?" she asked.

"The 22nd," he told her after checking his calendar. "We have our Christmas party on the 19th and I'll probably get a bus early on the 21st."

"Cool. You should join us then. New Directions is helping out at the homeless shelter on the 24rd and we'll get to sing for the kids as well."

Kurt had never really paid attention to homeless people before because you didn't see many in Lima, but now that he was living in New York, he was well aware of how important it was to help out those who were less fortunate.

"I'll be there," he promised before they went back to gossiping and Kurt told her a bit more about his latest dates with Blaine.

He said goodbye to her with a smile on his face because he knew he would see her in person soon. Kurt had made plenty of friends in New York, but some days he wished Mercedes was here with him as well.

* * *

"Hey Nick, you got a second?" Blaine called out and jogged to catch up with the other boy.

"Sure, what's up?" Nick replied, slowing down a bit thankfully. "I was wondering how you are getting back to Ohio for break? Kurt just told me he wants to take a bus as to not burden his dad financially and I thought the three of us could get a car instead, unless you already have something else planned," he explained.

"Well, I was going to fly out, but a road trip sounds like fun," Nick replied with a smile on his face.

"Awesome, I'll ask Wes if he can lend me one of his parents' cars," Blaine told the other boy as they continued power walking down the hallway.

"So, how are you and Kurt doing? Getting ready for the big Christmas separation?" Nick joked and Blaine punched his arm lightly.

"Oh, shut up. We can spend time away from each other." When he saw Nick's raised eyebrow he quickly added, "we just choose not to. But yeah, things are a lot better now that Chandler is gone."

Kurt was a lot more relaxed now when they walked in the hallway together, not constantly looking over his shoulders anymore. Blaine had been glad he went to a school now that actually took action when a student hurt another one, unlike his old school had done.

"Cool. So, just keep me posted about the road trip," Nick answered before he took off, shouting over his shoulder, "gotta go. I need to practice for a dance final."

Blaine looked after him in amusement before he made his way over to Kurt's room to tell his boyfriend about the new plan, hoping he actually wanted to drive back together.

* * *

"You know, I would have been perfectly fine on a bus," Kurt told Blaine as they were sipping eggnog in a corner, waiting for their turn to perform. "I'm sure the stories about Greyhound are just exaggerations."

"Call me selfish – but I'd rather spend ten hours in a car with my boyfriend than two hours next to a possibly horrible stranger," Blaine retorted.

"But I can't help you drive and it's not fair that you and Nick have to do all the driving just because I don't want my dad to spend money we don't really have on a plane ticket so soon after their visit," Kurt tried again, but he knew Blaine and Nick were set on going on a road trip with him.

To be honest, he had been relieved when Blaine had come to him with the idea, because for one he felt safer driving with his boyfriend, and it also meant saving money, because he would only have to chip in for gas as Wes was giving Blaine one of their SUVs.

He just needed to make sure, Blaine and Nick hadn't offered out of pity, because he was NOT a charity case. Blaine had been constantly reassuring him though that he much preferred a long car ride with him to a plane ride, so Kurt had given in. There was nothing he could do about it now anyway so close to Christmas because Nick and Blaine would have a hard time scoring affordable plane tickets this late.

Most of the other members of VE had already performed and were well on their way to being tipsy thanks to the few teachers present who turned a blind I on it, by the time it was their turn to perform 'Let it snow', and thankfully their performance went off without a hitch.

Afterward, they curled up together on a couch, with Wes and David on either side in armchairs.

"So are you lovebirds happy you are from the same state?" Wes joked and Kurt rolled his eyes because contrary to what people seemed to believe, they were not always joined at the hip.

He treasured his new friendships and generally tried to make time to hang out with his girls, sometimes with Blaine, but more often without him because Santana loved asking inappropriate questions when they were together.

"I'm sure we would have managed either way," he retorted. "Thanks for lending us your car though," he turned to Wes who waved him off.

"No problem. I have no idea why my parents even need all those cars anyway when they usually just hire a towncar to get around."

Kurt as always tried not to gape at Wes because he really should have gotten used to the fact by now that the Montgomery's were apparently filthy rich, like those people on _Gossip Girl._ Hanging out with the wealthier students often made him feel like the Humphreys must have felt when they started private school on the Upper East Side. So he just smiled at Wes awkwardly, not knowing what to say to that but luckily David quickly changed the subject.

"And you are sure you won't be back in time for Wes New Year's Eve party?"

Kurt shook his head. "My family wants me to stay home the whole break. It's okay though if you and Nick want to drive back earlier," he addressed his boyfriend who also shook his head.

"Nick has party invitations in Chicago where his older brother is in college and I want to spend New Year's Eve with you if possible." Blaine wiggled his eyebrows, causing Kurt to burst out laughing.

"I suppose it's all right," he joked back.

Just then a familiar face approached them and Kurt tensed. Blaine looked up when he noticed Kurt's reaction and scowled at the newcomer.

"Relax. I just want to talk," Sebastian told them and Wes and David quickly excused themselves.

"What do you want Sebastian? My answer is still no."

Sebastian sat down in one of the armchairs Wes and David had vacated and Kurt moved even closer to Blaine, holding his boyfriend's hand tightly to show meerkat face who Blaine belonged to – so to speak.

"I know," Sebastian sighed," and I wanted to apologize. Chandler crossed some lines even I know you shouldn't cross and I don't want to end up like him. So I'll leave you alone as long as you are dating him. Don't expect me not to ask you again when you break up, because contrary to what you might think I actually care about you, Blaine."

Blaine shifted next to Kurt and gave Sebastian a curt nod. Sensing he wouldn't get more than that Sebastian stood up and left them alone.

"Well, I didn't see that one coming," Kurt remarked. "Christmas miracles apparently are possible."

Blaine just looked stunned. "I didn't think Sebastian could care about anyone but himself."

Kurt put his head on Blaine's shoulder and looked up at him. "I don't have to worry, right?" he tried to joke, though his heartbeat sped up.

Blaine gave him a fond smile. "Of course not. I have never been interested in him and I doubt that I ever will."

Kurt leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Blaine's lips, reveling in the fact that he could do that in public without getting called ugly names.

"Good. Because now that I have you, I don't intend to let you go any time soon."

**Part 2: **Road trip, Kurt clashes with Finn, Burt makes some observations and Kurt gets invited to the Anderson house for dinner.


	12. 1x08: Merry Christmas, Darling Pt2

**1x08: Merry Christmas, Darling - Pt 2**

They decided to leave after lunch on the 21st and stop somewhere for the night so they wouldn't be too exhausted from driving for such a long time, especially because both he and Nick hadn't had their license for too long. Kurt didn't have a driving license yet, and so he and Nick decided to switch every two hours to avoid falling asleep at the wheel.

Their plans got derailed a bit though because of Kurt's apparent inability to pack light, but close to two o'clock they finally pulled out of the NYADA parking lot, the car filled with presents and Kurt's extensive luggage.

Navigating the Manhattan pre-Christmas traffic was a bitch and Blaine couldn't wait to get off the island. Why people willing drove in New York he would never understand. After cursing out yet another yellow cab, Kurt plugged Blaine's iPod in and pulled his Christmas playlist up.

"Sing with me?" his boyfriend asked to distract him, but Blaine only started to relax once they reached the Holland tunnel and entered New Jersey. Traffic let up a bit once they reached the interstate and Blaine breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You're driving us back to school," he told Nick, who was sitting in the backseat and had thought it was funny to mock Blaine's interaction with the cab drivers. "No fair," Nick pouted. "You are the oldest – you should drive in the big bad city." Blaine just rolled his eyes, because what did age have to do with the ability to drive in a big city? After all, he and Nick had both learned to drive in Ohio.

Kurt was chuckling, while he was pretty much dancing along to a song in his seat. "Don't laugh," Blaine told him. "Next year, you are driving us." That promptly shut him up, until they launched into "Baby it's cold outside."

The three of them sang Christmas songs on top of their lungs all the way into Pennsylvania. Once Nick took over the wheel, he and Kurt curled up together on the backseat, trading soft smiles between songs.

It started snowing lightly while they were driving through Pennsylvania and once visibility decreased they decided to look for a place to spend the night at, hoping the roads would be clear again the next morning.

They found a quaint motel along I-80 that fortunately had vacancies, where Nick got a room for himself, so Blaine could share a room with Kurt. He rolled his eyes at Nick when he winked at him, because, well, he and Kurt were taking it slow. Sharing a room didn't change that.

They quickly dropped their luggage off before crossing the road to a 24/7 diner for some cheeseburgers and fries for him and Nick, and a chickenburger with curly fries for Kurt. The diner was decorated in the style of the fifties and after much pouting, and pulling out the patented puppy dog eyes, Kurt agreed to split a milkshake with him.

After dinner they returned to their rooms, deciding they would leave again at eight the next morning, so they would be in Ohio before noon.

Blaine sat down on the only bed in the door on which he had dumped his luggage while Kurt was standing in front of the TV, looking everywhere but at him.

"I can take the floor," he blurted out, not wanting to make Kurt uncomfortable but Kurt's head snapped up and he shook it.

"No, you don't have to. It's fine. We can share. I mean the bed is big enough for two people, right. God, I have no idea what I'm doing," he rambled until Blaine crossed the room and shut him up with a kiss.

"Hey. I don't know what I'm doing either, so we are going to use the bathroom, get changed and then just go to sleep, okay? No expectations," he assured his nervous boyfriend trying to hide his own nerves because the only person he had ever shared a bed with was his brother when they had been younger at a family reunion.

Kurt nodded, and grabbed his overnight bag before disappearing into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Blaine sat down on the bed again, and turned on the old looking TV, but the images just kept flickering as the snowfall increased outside.

Their room reminded him of the one in Psycho, causing him to shudder for a moment, so he was actually glad he didn't have to be in it on his own. Just then Kurt yelped, and Blaine jumped of the bed and sprinted over to the bathroom.

"Kurt, are you okay?" he yelled, knocking on the door until Kurt's voice came through, muffled by the door.

"Yeah, sorry. Spider," he mumbled and Blaine's face flushed because of his own overreaction.

"Okay. You good now?" "Yeah, I killed it."

Blaine chuckled because Kurt might not look like it but from what Nick had told him, it was Kurt who had to kill the spiders that ended up in his and Jeff's dorm room.

Ten minutes later, Kurt came out of the bathroom, his hair less styled, and in sweat pants and a hoodie. "I'm not going to let my silk pajamas touch those sheets", he explained, before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Blaine hurried through his own routine, constantly checking the floor for more spiders, before he threw on a pair of his own sweats and a simple t-shirt. His wet hair was already curling on his head but he figured that if he and Kurt kept dating, Kurt would see him au naturel sooner or later – better get it over with now.

To his surprise Kurt actually looked in awe and ran his fingers through Blaine's hair when he sat down next to Kurt. "Those are adorable," he remarked, but Blaine shook his head. He didn't gel his hair down anymore, but he was still not willing to run around with hair curly like crazy.

"Which side do you want?" he asked Kurt, quickly changing the topic. Kurt just shrugged. "I don't know. The dorm beds are too small to have a side and at home I just sleep in the middle."

"I'll take the side by the door then," Blaine replied, because he didn't have a side either, but could protect Kurt from anyone trying to come inside. They both crawled under the covers and that was when it got slightly awkward – because what did one do with their arms and legs. How close was too close and how far part was too far.

Blaine rolled over on his side to face Kurt, who looked apprehensive as well. There was enough space between them for a third person, and Blaine shuffled a bit closer and put his head on the pillow next to Kurt's. He leaned in for a quick kiss before just smiling at Kurt.

Kurt didn't make any move to cuddle with him either and so he decided it would be best if they just stayed on their own sides for now until they were more comfortable.

Blaine was woken up the next morning by someone banging on their door and he buried his head deeper into his pillow only to realize his pillow was moving. He slowly opened his eyes to assess the situation.

Kurt was still sprawled out on his back, but Blaine must have flipped over in his sleep as his head was lying on Kurt's chest, his right arm flung over his waist and his right leg tangled with Kurt's. Slowly, he tried to extricate himself before Kurt woke up and felt him, misinterpreting the situation, but he wasn't fast enough as the banging woke Kurt up as well.

"Shut up, Nick," his boyfriend groaned and the pounding stopped. "We are leaving in half an hour. Just wanted to make sure you were awake," their friend called through the door and Blaine wanted to strangle him, because surely there were other ways to wake someone up.

"Sorry," he mumbled in Kurt's direction as he lifted his leg from Kurt's and slowly moved away from him, making sure that he wasn't brushing up on Kurt. He was a teenage boy and he knew that was completely normal, but he was afraid Kurt would freak out if he knew. Luckily, Kurt apparently wasn't a morning person, because he just curled in on himself and closed his eyes again.

Blaine decided to use the bathroom first and try to get Kurt out of bed again once he was done.

Half past eight, they were back on the road, surrounded by freshly fallen snow that had fortunately been cleared from the roads during the night. After yesterday's Christmas song marathon they decided to just see what was on the radio, but they admitted defeat once they crossed into Ohio and had to go back to Blaine's iPod and top forty artists.

Around noon they reached Nick's house, who was greeted by an adorable little girl who had to be his sister, and accepted a cup of hot chocolate before Nick's mom let them get back on the road. They spent a few minutes kissing in the car before they got on their way to Lima, because they both knew they wouldn't see each other every day like they could in New York, though Blaine promised to visit as often as he could.

Maybe he could convince his dad that now was the right time to invite Kurt over for dinner. After all, he had been the one to suggest it.

Speaking of fathers – Kurt's dad was waiting at the front door as they pulled up the driveway and Blaine quickly dropped Kurt's hands, preparing himself to play the platonic best friend while around the Hummels.

* * *

It was after close to two o'clock when Blaine pulled into their driveway after dropping Nick off. Kurt had barely managed to open his door when he was pulled into a tight hug by his dad, who apparently had been waiting behind the door for their arrival.

"Let him breath for a moment," Carole admonished his dad before pulling him into a hug as well, while Blaine was unloading his luggage and carried it inside with his dad's help.

Kurt and Carole slowly followed them inside, and Kurt accepted a one-armed hugged from Finn, who had emerged from the kitchen, half eaten sandwich in his hand.

"I know your family situation isn't great from what you've told me. So I guess it'd be okay if you wanna come over for Christmas Eve dinner," he overheard his dad say to his surprise, just as he was getting ready to say goodbye to Blaine, but he quickly whirled around to face Finn when his stepbrother protested.

"Hey, why does Kurt get to bring his boyfriend when I can't have Rachel over?"

Kurt paled for a moment before sending a death glare in Finn's direction.

"Rachel is Jewish, Finn, and she and her family probably have plans," he remarked dryly, before he added. "And Blaine's not my boyfriend, Finn. He's a boy who's my friend! I can be friends with gay guys."

He could see that Blaine was trying not to look hurt and Kurt sent him an apologetic smile. He didn't want to hurt Blaine's feelings but he needed to do damage control right now.

Finally, he dared to look at his dad, whose eyes kept flickering from Finn to Blaine and then back to Kurt.

"Sorry, dude," Finn apologized to Blaine though he looked confused. Apparently Finn needed another talk about not spilling other people's secrets.

"No, problem," Blaine answered tersely before he turned to Kurt's dad. "Thanks for the invitation Mr. Hummel. I'll let Kurt know what my family's plans are once I've spoken to them."

His dad nodded before he and Finn started lugging Kurt's suitcases to his room and Kurt quickly followed Blaine outside after yelling "I'll walk Blaine out," over his shoulder.

As soon as they were outside, he quickly pulled his boyfriend around the corner of the house to a secluded spot that hid them from the neighbors and his own family.

"Sorry about that. I'll talk to Finn again," he apologized as soon as they were out of sight.

"It's okay," Blaine assured him. "I promised to give you all the time you need, and I intend to keep this promise."

Kurt pressed his cold lips against Blaine's equally cold ones for a few seconds before he led him back to the car. "I need to get back inside. Otherwise they're going to wonder what takes me so long," he pouted and Blaine pulled him into a friendly hug.

"I'll call you, so we can make plans," Blaine promised before he got into the car and drove off, while Kurt watched the car disappear into the distance.

Finn was in his own room, when Kurt went upstairs, blasting zombies, and Kurt slammed the door shut behind him after he stepped into the chaos his stepbrother called a room.

"What the hell, Finn?" he yelled, causing Finn to drop his controller.

"I'm sorry dude. I forgot you are in the cupboard," Finn shot back, and Kurt shook his head at his stepbrother's stupidity.

"Just don't do it again," he sighed exasperatedly. "I want to enjoy my break while I'm here not end up in the homeless shelter we're helping out at," he added dryly.

"Wait, what?" Finn asked surprised. "You are going there as well?" Kurt nodded. "Mercedes invited me," he explained.

"Well, call her and tell her you can't."

It was Kurt's turn to look confused. "And pray tell me, why not?"

Finn smiley widely. "One of the performers of a local Christmas show on TV had to cancel last minute and Rachel got us the gig. It's live, so you're going to have to watch from the audience," he announced.

Kurt gaped at him. "There's such a thing as a DVR Finn. I'm not cancelling on Mercedes. I think volunteering is more important than watching some show live that I can watch on TV any way."

Kurt yelped when Finn threw his controller against the wall. "God, you are so selfish, Kurt," he yelled. "It's always about you. I have to help out in the shop when I want some money but you get to go to some fancy school in New York, because you can't go to regular high school like normal people. And I flew all the way to New York to watch your stupid musical."

Kurt was quietly fuming because Finn knew why he wasn't safe at McKinley, Finn hadn't even paid attention to his show, and Finn had enjoyed his time in New York.

"No one forced you to come," Kurt shot back, "and I'd have understood if you had already had plans. I'm helping out at the shelter and that's that. There are things more important than performing."

His storm-out was diva worthy and he made sure to slam the door shut behind him.

"What's going on Kurt?" his dad asked, eyeing Finn's closed door. "Nothing," Kurt replied before he stormed into his own room and slammed the door shut as well for good messure.

There was a knock on the door a few moments later.

"Go away, Dad. I don't want to talk about it," Kurt yelled, before burying his head in his pillow. He already felt bad enough that his dad had to pay for private school – because Kurt knew that scholarship or not it still cost his dad more than it would if Kurt were at McKinley – and Finn bringing it up didn't help at all. It just made him feel worse.

"If this is about what Finn said about Blaine, I promise I'm not mad," his dad tried again, but Kurt didn't move. "It's not," he mumbled. "I'm tired, I'm going to lie down," he said a bit louder to make sure his dad heard him.

There was a sigh, then. "Sure kiddo, but know you can talk to me if you want to."

"I know. Thanks Dad."

Kurt woke up from his nap two hours later to a text from Blaine, telling him he got home all right. He immediately pulled up his boyfriend's number and pressed call.

"You can't believe what Finn said to me," he ambushed Blaine before he could even say hello, before launching into a tirade about Finn.

"Please tell me you're coming over for Christmas dinner," he finished.

"I'm sorry Kurt, but I talked to my dad and he wants me home for Christmas. In related news, you have been invited to dinner at my house after Christmas."

Kurt's breath caught in his throat. "And is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

Blaine sighed. "I think it's a good thing. He is trying, because you are important to me and apparently I'm still important to him."

"Then I'm looking forward to it," Kurt assured him, already running through outfit idea in his mind. He had looked spectacularly young in his Spring Awakening costume and he really need the second impression to be better than the first.

Just then Carole called upstairs to let him know dinner was ready. "I got to go. Talk later?" Blaine agreed and Kurt hung up the phone, mentally preparing himself for an awkward dinner.

* * *

Burt had hoped that things would settle the day after Kurt and Finn's fight – about which both boys still refused to talk to him – but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

Christmas Eve dinner was as tense as the last few days had been, the boys not saying more to each other than pass the food. Carole had no idea what was going on either, but had quietly joked that Kurt and Finn were already acting like real brothers.

"Any plans for the next few days?" he asked the boys while Carole went to fetch the dessert.

"I'm over at Pucks tomorrow night playing my new games," Finn informed him and Burt reminded him to be home on time for once, which led to another discussion about Finn's curfew, because at sixteen his stepson thought he was entitled to stay up all night.

"What about you, Kurt?" he turned to his son, who was clued to his phone yet again. "Dinner at Blaine's – his dad invited me. I thought I already told you," he replied, barely looking up from his phone.

"No you haven't," Burt told him, annoyed by Kurt's behavior. He was starting to act more and more like a real teenager and sometimes Burt really wanted to have his little boy back.

"How will you get there and back. Columbus isn't exactly just around the corner and you don't have a driver's license yet," he reminded his son.

"Blaine's going to pick me up and drive me back the next day," promptly came the answer and Burt raised his eyebrow. When Kurt still didn't react he cleared his throat.

"And you didn't think you'd have to ask my permission for that? I know you are used to doing stuff on your own now, but when you are under my roof, you will ask permission for things like that, are we clear?" he asked sternly.

For a moment it looked like Kurt was going to argue, but then he shut his mouth again and nodded.

"Good, now write down Blaine's address and I'll pick you up at ten. Call if you want me to get you earlier."

Kurt nodded again before bolting from the room, probably to call Blaine for his address. Finn excused himself as well, telling him he was going to play video games until dessert was ready. Having nothing else to do, he joined his wife in the kitchen.

"So, Kurt is invited to dinner over at Blaine's house tomorrow." Carole just nodded and he wasn't surprised she already knew. "Doesn't that sound a lot like meeting the boyfriend's parents," he suggested hoping she would take the bait, as Kurt apparently was telling her more than him.

"Oh, give it a rest Burt. I know as much as you do, but until Kurt tells you otherwise, we have to accept it when he says they are just friends. And we had him over as well for Thanksgiving – why shouldn't Blaine's family invite him?"

"Hmm. I wonder if Blaine's father knows more. Apparently he isn't father of the year, but is accepting according to Blaine."

"Whatever you are planning, don't Burt. Please, let Kurt just come to you," Carole came over and sat down next to him at the kitchen table.

"I'm just worried," he confessed, "that if they are together and no one knows, Kurt might get himself into trouble with no one there to supervise."

His wife took his hand into her own. "I understand Burt, but at some point you have to trust that you raised your kids to the best of your abilities and that they will make smart choices. And if they don't, we'll just have to be there for them when something bad happens."

Burt knew, Carole was right. Still, it was hard letting go and hoping Kurt would make the right choices, because he didn't want to see his little boy get hurt more than he already had.

In the end, he listened to her advice, and instead of trying to figure out what Mr. Anderson knew about the two boys, they made small talk about cars while Kurt got his things together.

Still, this having faith in your kid's ability to make smart choices was harder than he had thought.

* * *

Cooper had arrived the day before Christmas and to Blaine's chagrin hadn't left yet, which meant he would be there for the dinner with Kurt as well.

No one in their household was very proficient in the kitchen and so Blaine had volunteered to go and pick up dinner just to escape his brother who now was apparently a relationship expert as well. His dad was still hiding in his office and Blaine just hoped he would be on his best behavior tonight.

He put the pre-cooked dinner into the fridge before yelling in his dad's direction that he was driving to Lima now to pick up Kurt and to heat the food in 3 hours.

Luckily the roads were clear and Blaine made it to Kurt's house in under one and a half hours by going ten miles over the speed limit. Kurt was sitting on the front porch, bundled up in a thick winter coat, but jumped up and ran over to his car when Blaine pulled into his driveway.

Though they had spoken on the phone daily, they hadn't seen each other since the day he had dropped Kurt off as they had both been busy and it was a long drive after all.

"Pull over," Kurt instructed him once they left Kurt's neighborhood and Blaine quickly complied. To his surprise, Kurt looked around for a moment before he leaned over and pressed his dry lips against Blaine's. "Hi," he whispered against Blaine's lips before pulling back.

"Merry Christmas, Kurt," Blaine replied. He was happy to see that Kurt was wearing his Christmas present, an Alexander McQueen scarf he had gotten on eBay, which looked great on him.

Kurt smiled back at him and ran his hand over the scarf. "Merry Christmas to you too. Did you like your present?" he added and Blaine beamed at him.

"Oh my good yes. Thank you so much Kurt."

Kurt had enlisted Wes' help to get Blaine a meet and greet with one of his idols who would be performing on Broadway in January. He just hadn't decided yet if it would be too much to dress up as a wizard for it because if he did his friends would never let him forget it.

They plugged Kurt's iPod into the car, singing along as they drove toward Columbus, but the closer they got, the more nervous Kurt appeared to be.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked when they were only twenty minutes away from his house.

"What if your dad hates me? He didn't like me when we first met, so what if he thinks I'm totally wrong for you. Do you think I look okay?"

Blaine gave Kurt a quick once over. His hair was styled differently, making him look older than normally, he was wearing black jeans that were a lot less tight than the jeans he normally wore and even his sweater looked pretty conservative.

"You look great," he assured him, "but you really didn't have to dress down for my dad. I like you just the way you are and he has to accept that."

Kurt mumbled something that sounded like 'why jinx it' so Blaine just took his hand and gave it a brief squeeze.

"I hope it's going to be okay. But even if it's not, I don't care what he thinks, okay? I care about you and this is what matters."

He knew Kurt probably disagreed because Blaine was trying really hard to get Mr. Hummel to like him as well, because he knew how important he was to Kurt, but they didn't talk about it anymore while he drove the remaining miles to his house.

His own house was bigger than Kurt's but less cozy with only a few pictures on the wall and sparsely decorated ever since his parents' divorce. Kurt looked in awe though as they walked inside looking around curiously.

Thankfully his dad hadn't forgotten to put dinner in the oven and Cooper was setting the table as they walked into the dinning room.

"Nice to see you again Kirk," he called out in greeting and Blaine glared at him. "Don't pay him any attention. He's just grumpy for some reason," he whispered into Kurt's ear who was watching his exchange with his brother with a frown.

"Blaine, Kurt," his father's voice startled him for a moment before he turned around to face him. His father was caring the food Blaine picked up at a restaurant out of the kitchen and Blaine rushed over to help him.

Five minutes later, they were all seated at the table, his dad at the head, with Kurt next to him, flanked by Blaine on the other side, while Cooper took the chair on his dad's right side.

"You are well, I hope?" his dad asked Kurt, who answered just as politely. Blaine was relieved his dad was acting civil at least because that was already a lot better than the last time they had met.

"And what is it that your parents do?" his dad asked while Cooper was busy making coffee in the kitchen.

"My dad owns an auto repair shop in Lima and my stepmother is a secretary for a small company," Kurt replied and Blaine hoped his dad wouldn't act all snobbish about it. Fortunately, his dad just nodded before the interrogation continued.

"You said stepmother. Are your parents divorces as well then?" he asked and Blaine saw Kurt tense next to him. He shook his head hoping his dad would drop it, but it was too late.

"Um, no," Kurt answered. "My mother died when I was eight. My dad remarried this summer, so now I have a stepmother and a stepbrother who is a junior in high school as well," he continued hiding his discomfort pretty well.

"I'm sorry to hear that," his dad answered and for the first time that night he was showing real emotions.

"You wouldn't know anything about cars, would you?" he quickly changed the subject. "I have this old Chevy that Blaine and I tried to rebuild but rather unsuccessfully I dare say."

Before he knew it, his dad and Kurt were involved in a discussion about the right parts and other stuff Blaine didn't understand, so he wandered off into the kitchen to help Cooper.

"Did you hear from your mom?" Cooper asked when Blaine entered and Blaine shook his head. He had expected her not to call, but it still hurt a bit that she hadn't even sent him a card. "She's a bitch," Cooper commented and Blaine nodded again.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment before Cooper spoke up again. "I'm glad things are going well with Kurt and Dad, you know. I know I can be quite critical of you because I want the best for you, but I'm glad you are happy."

Blaine turned around for a moment to compose himself, because he hadn't expected to hear that from Cooper.

"Thanks, Cooper. That means a lot," he told him and pulled his brother into a quick hug.

Laughter from the dining room, made them grab the coffee and cookies Blaine had tried his hands on and they joined his father and boyfriend again.

"I think I owe the two of you an apology," his dad addressed him after Blaine had sat down again.

"I made assumptions about Kurt before even getting to know him and I was wrong. He is a very nice young man and if this is what you want, than I support you."

"Thanks Dad," Blaine told him sincerely and took Kurt's hand into his, putting their joined hands on top of the table for everyone to see instead of hiding them like they had during dinner.

"Could you please don't tell Kurt's dad though when he comes to pick him up. He doesn't know yet that we are together and we really want to tell him on our own terms," he reminded his dad. He had told him before the dinner that Kurt wasn't really out yet and his dad had promised not to say anything, but Blaine thought it couldn't hurt to make sure he remembered.

His dad nodded before excusing himself to his office because as he liked to say – not everyone was taking time off for Christmas. Cooper took off after dinner as well, to meet up with old friends who were in town as well, which left him and Kurt to do the dishes.

It was oddly domestic, standing side by side at the sink and washing and drying the dishes together, but Blaine couldn't say that he didn't like it.

"Do you want to watch a movie until your dad gets here?" he asked once they were done, and when Kurt nodded, he took his hand and led him upstairs to his bedroom, shutting his door behind him.

"Won't your dad mind?" Kurt asked surprised but Blaine shook his head. "He's a lot more accepting now that he had been in the past but some things he still prefers to be out of sight out of mind, like the idea that we might be kissing. And telling me to keep the door open would force him to have that conversation with me."

Kurt seemed to accept his reasoning as he sat down on Blaine's bed while Blaine accessed his Netflix account on his laptop.

So that went well, right?" he asked once Blaine was seated beside him, his arm around Kurt's shoulders.

"It went great," he replied, still a bit surprised about that. "I knew he would like you, because how can anyone not," he added, not caring how cheesy he sounded.

Kurt just gave him a big smile before he leaned in for a kiss that lasted several minutes and made them miss the opening number of 'Moulin Rouge' which didn't really matter because they both had seen the movie multiple times already.

They spent the remaining hour before Kurt's dad came by to pick him up, alternately singing along with the movie or kissing with more passion they had in the past, progressing to open mouthed kisses, though Blaine still made sure to keep his tongue in his own mouth because he didn't want to pressure his boyfriend.

The day had gone surprisingly well, and he didn't want to ruin it by moving too fast too soon.

When Mr. Hummel rang the doorbell, they decided to try and see each other for New Year'sEve and Blaine couldn't wait for it, because now he finally had someone to kiss he actually cared for not just some random pity kisses like he had had the previous year at Wes' party.

* * *

**Part 3: **Kurt and Finn find a cause to fight for together, Finn makes some observations, Klaine goes 'semi public', Klaine enjoys NYE together.


	13. 1x08: Merry Christmas, Darling Pt3

**1x08: Merry Christmas, Darling Pt3**

"What do you want, Finn?" Kurt asked when his giant stepbrother came into his room, barely looking up from the Vogue in front of him. Things had been tense between them since their argument and Kurt wasn't going to give in as long as Finn didn't apologize for calling him selfish and a freak.

Finn looked sheepish when Kurt finally looked up, wringing his hands. "I need your help, dude." Kurt raised an eyebrow but told Finn to continue.

"You need to convince mom and Burt to stay overnight at their party. They said they won't because they are afraid I'll throw another party."

"Which you want to do?" Finn nodded. "You had fun too during the summer," he said and Kurt had to admit Finn was right. It had brought them closer as brothers, trying to hide the party from their parents.

"What makes you think they are going to listen to me?" Kurt wondered. Finn sniggered. "You are the responsible one – didn't you know." Kurt laughed as well, because if his dad knew about some of the things he had done in New York, he wouldn't be called responsible anymore.

"So what's in it for me? Why should I help you?" A party did sound like fun, but Finn didn't need to know that – what better chance to let him stir a bit.

"I know you wanna see Blaine for New Year's Eve, but with the parents around you won't be able to do anything. I'll keep my mouth shut if you want to have him over overnight, if you help me get rid of them," Finn explained and Kurt contemplate it for a moment.

Unfortunately, Finn was right. If his parents came home after their party, Blaine would have to go home early as well and they wouldn't get to share a kiss at midnight, and now that he actually had someone to kiss, he didn't want to miss out on it.

"Alright," he agreed, his desire to spend the night with Blaine winning out.

Getting his parents to agree was easier than he had thought. He promised Carole that the house would still be standing the next day and that he and Finn would keep out of the liquor cabinet, promises that were easy to keep. If he knew Finn's friend Puck at all, he would provide all the alcohol for the party and they had agreed that people wouldn't stay the night to avoid having to deal with hung over people the next day instead of focusing on the clean up.

He waved when his dad and Carole drove away and texted Blaine that the coast was clear. Five minutes later, his boyfriend pulled into the driveway and Kurt dragged him into the house to properly say hello, before they helped Finn getting the basement ready for the party.

* * *

Finn spent most of the first two hours observing Kurt and Blaine. They weren't sitting close together like he and Rachel were, but they were still gravitating toward one another unconsciously.

He didn't really get it – the whole being into dudes thing – but Rachel's dads were kinda cool and Kurt looked happier with Blaine around than he had in the past, so he figure it was cool. And so far they hadn't really done anything gay in front of him apart from holding hands in New York, so all was good. He didn't know how he would react if they started making out in front of him, but right now that wasn't a problem because Kurt wasn't really out to anyone.

At some point, Kurt and Blaine disappeared upstairs and Finn was tempted to follow them to see what they were doing, but then Rachel draped herself over him, and he focused his attention back on her.

Puck had brought a bunch of cheerleaders and Finn chuckled when he saw one of them hit on Blaine. His brother's boyfriend either didn't realize or he just didn't want to be rude, because he inadvertently was flirting back judging by the girl's reaction. He nudged Rachel and pointed it out to her and Rachel giggled as well.

"Hey Kitty," she called out, getting on her feet a bit unsteadily. "I don't think Kurt's too happy, your hanging all over his boyfriend."

Finn grabbed Rachel's hand and yanked her back down next to him. "What are you doing? You know that's supposed to be a secret," he hissed, because that was not cool. "I'm helping," his girlfriend pouted. "Kurt looked pissed."

His brother might have looked pissed before but right now he looked paler than he had ever looked before. He knew he should go over to him and make sure he was all right, but Rachel leaned in to whisper into his ear.

"I'm bored. Can we go upstairs? I'll let you touch my boobs over the bra." Finn immediately jumped up, because Rachel usually didn't put out.

"Um, Rachel and I are going upstairs to talk," he announced before letting his tiny girlfriend drag him upstairs. Kurt would be able to handle himself and if anyone gave him shit - they would have to deal with him or Puck, who for some reason really liked his stepbrother.

* * *

Kurt froze the moment the words left Rachel's mouth. He didn't think she did it out of spite though, because the girl could barely stay upright and he had been glaring at the cheerleader who was slobbering all over his boyfriend for the past few minutes.

Blaine looked like a deer caught in headlights as well, while the cheerleader looked less then pleased. "You could have just said so instead of leading me on," she hissed and Blaine's eyes widened. "I was just being nice. I swear," he addressed Kurt and Kurt gave him a small smile to show him he wasn't actually angry with him.

Then he slowly turned around to face the inevitable, but the world was still turning. Mercedes gave him a thumbs up and the girls she was sitting with smiled as well. Most of the other people had gone back to partying already, apparently not caring much about a guy they didn't know.

He was probably lucky, Finn had only invited his glee club and none of the jocks from his team, because he knew their reaction would have been anything but nice.

He watched Finn and Rachel leave, surprised Finn had actually stood up for him to his girlfriend.

A hand slipped into his own and Kurt was faced with Blaine's hopeful smile. He smiled back tentatively and sat down again next to Blaine on the couch, but this time he moved in closer, because what was the use of pretending when the cat was already out of the bag?

It had been hard pretending that the were nothing more than friends, especially after they had both had a few drinks and so he tried to ignore the other people in the room and snuggled up to his boyfriend.

He accepted another pink drink from Mercedes, hoping that if Blaine were tipsy enough he would get a proper kiss at midnight – one like those the other couples in the room were demonstrating on their couches.

"Are you doing okay?" Blaine asked after accepting a drink himself and Kurt nodded. "As long as it doesn't leave the room, it should be fine. Apparently there are people at McKinley with half a brain."

Blaine looked thoughtful for a moment before he untangled himself from Kurt and stood up.

"Hey guys. If you couldn't mention this," he pointed to him and Kurt, "that's be great. Kurt's family doesn't know and we'd like to keep it like that for now," his boyfriend addressed the group.

Most nodded and got back to their own activities, while Puck slurred. "Don't intend to remember anything tomorrow morning anyway."

"Thank you," Kurt whispered. "If my dad finds out I want it to come from me, not some guy coming into the shop or something like that."

He snuggled up to Blaine again and they quietly enjoyed each other's presence until it was getting close to midnight.

* * *

He and Kurt were standing close together in a more secluded corner of the Hummel's basement when the countdown to midnight started and as soon as the clock struck twelve, Kurt surprised him by passionately pressing their lips together.

For a moment he forgot himself and all the other people making out around them, and swiped his tongue across Kurt's lower lip. His boyfriend only opened his mouth wider and so Blaine took a chance and slipped his tongue into Kurt's mouth. To his relief, Kurt didn't pull back though and soon there tongues were dancing together.

Had you asked him before if he expected to end the old year French kissing his boyfriend surrounded by Ohio public school kids, he would have thought people had gone mad. As it was, he was just enjoying himself, and tried to push all thoughts to the back of his mind.

When they finally pulled apart, Kurt looked like the cat who got the cream, and Blaine hoped he wouldn't regret it the next morning when he was sober again. They hadn't been drinking much, but Kurt was definitely tipsy, and people didn't always make the smartest choices when they were drinking.

Finn and Rachel had returned shortly before midnight, looking a little rumpled for a couple who only walked away to talk, and by the time two o'clock came around, he and Kurt helped Finn getting people in the designated drivers' cars.

Rachel was pouting when she realized he would be staying the night at the Hummels, but Finn reminded her that her dads expected her to come home from the party, before Kurt could get into another argument with her.

Apart from Rachel accidentally? outing them, she and Kurt had stayed clear of one another during the night and for that Blaine was glad because Thanksgiving break hadn't been exactly pleasant with them arguing the whole time.

He knew they would have to find a way to all get along if Finn kept dating her, and he at some point would become Kurt's boyfriend officially, because that would mean they'd spend a lot of time together during future breaks. But he could worry about that another time.

Once everyone was gone and they had cleaned up the worst – knowing they wouldn't want to do it before Kurt's parents returned in the morning – he and Kurt said goodnight to Finn – who looked only mildly uncomfortable when they both went into Kurt's bedroom – and took turns getting ready for bed in Kurt's bathroom.

Like the night in the motel, it was slightly awkward at first, sliding into the bed next to Kurt but instead of each staying on their own sides like last time, Kurt moved in closer and snuggled up to him. He turned over and put his arms around Kurt, holding him as close as possible, before whispering into his ear.

"Happy New Year, Kurt."

* * *

When Kurt woke up the next morning in Blaine's arms it was because his phone wouldn't stop ringing on his nightstand.

"Kurt, honey, it's Carole," his stepmother greeted him after he finally rolled out of Blaine's embrace and answered the phone. He had no idea how Blaine managed to sleep through the ring tone he had sat for his dad and Carole.

"I just wanted to let you know that we are on the road already and should be back home in about an hour, just in case you need time to clean up the house."

Kurt frantically looked at his alarm clock which told him it was only shortly after eight. They hadn't expected their parents to be home before eleven and so he was grateful for Carole's call, because the last thing he needed was being found in bed with Blaine by his dad.

"Of course not, Carole," he quickly told her. "Everything is fine here." "Well, if you say so. I gotta go, you're dad just came back. See you in a bit."

Kurt hung up the phone and immediately started shaking Blaine awake who only buried his head deeper into Kurt's pillow. "Five more minutes," he mumbled but Kurt was persistent.

"Get up, my dad will be back in an hour and we need to finish cleaning up." Blaine's head shot up and Kurt nearly fell off his bed when his boyfriend rushed to entangle himself from the blanket.

"I'm awake. What can I do?" he asked sleepily and Kurt told him to start cleaning up the rest of the basement while he went to wake his brother.

When knocking didn't help, he pushed open the door to Finn's bedroom and bravely went inside. Shaking Finn didn't help, so he put his phone directly next to Finn's ear and blasted Lady Gaga as loud as he could. Luckily it had the desired effect, though he had to fear for his iPod's life for a moment, while avoiding getting hit by one of Finn's flailing limbs.

After explaining the situation, the two brother's went downstairs to put away the remnants of the party found in the kitchen, before joining Blaine in the basement.

Fifty minutes later, they deposited the last trash bag a few houses down the road, hoping not to be caught by any neighbors, before collapsing on the couch together.

In the end, it was Finn who alerted them to something they had overlooked. "Dude, is he supposed to be here?" he asked pointing at Blaine, who paled as well. "Shit." He hadn't even thought of that.

"Maybe he came over early for breakfast," his stepbrother suggested but Blaine shook his head. "I live in Columbus and it's only nine o'clock in the morning."

Kurt was still trying to come up with a good excuse when he heard a car pull into the driveway. Instinctively, he pushed Blaine down on the couch and threw a blanket on top of him.

"Blaine, pretend to be asleep. Finn, go back to bad. If they ask, Blaine came over to watch the ball drop with us, but fell asleep on the couch and we didn't think it safe to make him drive home so far if he was tired," he quickly instructed before shooing Finn upstairs.

When he returned to the living room, Blaine was fake snoring – though still convincing – and Kurt rushed into the kitchen to get breakfast started. He had just started the coffee machine when a key turned in the lock, and a few minutes later, Carole and his dad came into the kitchen. While Carole looked surprised, his dad looked pissed – but that was to be expected.

"Kurt, is there something you want to tell us?" he asked, voice still calm. Kurt gulped. "You mean, Blaine?" His dad nodded. "Care to remind me what I told you about sleepovers only a week ago."

Kurt put on his best 'I'm a good kid – you can trust me' smile. "That I had to ask for permission first. But Dad, Blaine came over to watch the ball drop with us because he was home alone in Columbus, but he fell asleep on the couch and we didn't want him to drive back if he was tired."

His dad sighed. "Good thinking, kid. But you still should have called. And what about Blaine's parents, won't they be worried?"

Kurt shook his head. "Blaine's dad is out of town as well, and Cooper went back home. His parents are divorced," he added, not sure if his dad already knew that or not.

"Why don't you get him and your brother and we'll finish breakfast," Carole suggested and Kurt gave her a grateful smile. She might not be his mother, but it was great to have an ally in the house.

Breakfast went over smoothly, though he wasn't sure Carole actually bought their 'Rachel came over to watch TV with us and left after midnight, but Blaine was tired so he slept on the couch' story, but even if she didn't she didn't say anything.

Afterward, the three of them went back upstairs to Kurt's room, so Blaine could get changed and ready to drive home.

"Thanks, dude, for helping us with the clean up," Finn told him when Blaine returned from the bathroom. "If Kurt has to date a dude, I'm glad it's you."

Kurt decided not to take offence at Finn's choice of words, happy his stepbrother and boyfriend were getting along.

"And I'd like to make a toast to my and Kurt's brohood. We totally made this thing work last night." Kurt rolled his eyes but still raised an imaginary glass.

Finn gave them some privacy to say goodbye but came back into his room once Blaine had left.

"I just wanted to say that you can count on me to not say anything to Burt again until you are ready. I saw how scared you were when Rachel said what she said and I only realized then, that you are not just keeping it a secret so you can have unsupervised alone time with your boyfriend, but that you are actually afraid Burt will react badly. So yeah, I promise to keep my mouth shut and I'll tell you if anyone at school says anything."

Kurt was touched that Finn had actually given his situation some thought and he briefly put his arms around his giant stepbrother.

"Thank you, Finn. That means a lot."

Later that night he was looking through the pictures he and his friends had posted on facebook the past few months. Things had gotten a lot better since he had left Lima, he thought, but if he could make a wish, he would still wish for the new year to have less drama in it.

**Up Next: **It's a new semester at NYADA.

I should finish 'Somebody that I used to know' soon and afterward I should have more time for this story as I have promised myself not to start another one again for a bit.


	14. 1x09 Love is in the air

**AN: **It's been over two months and I feel horrible for not updating sooner. However, my other story is finally finished so I'll try to do better now.

We're jumping forward a bit and pick up the story in early February.

* * *

**1x09: Love is in the air**

_Previously on 'NYADA – Freshman Year'. Kurt and Blaine went back to Ohio for Christmas. Kurt and Finn got into a fight after Finn called Blaine Kurt's boyfriend in front of his dad and said some not so nice things about Kurt attending school in New York. The boys buried the hatchet though when they banded together to throw a New Year's Eve party and Blaine got the Finn Hudson stamp of approval. A drunk Rachel outed Kurt and Blaine at the party but promises were made to keep it a secret. In another part of Ohio, Mr. Anderson invited Kurt to dinner and Kurt left with the Michael Anderson stamp of approval. Break's over though now and it's time for the boys to head back to school. And that's what you missed on 'NYADA – Freshman Year'. _

Kurt woke up the morning after his and Blaine's three months anniversary with a huge smile on his face. He knew that three months wasn't that long for most people, but because it was his first relationship, it felt huge for him.

They hadn't really celebrated but had gone to a nice restaurant Blaine had discovered the previous year, before retiring to Blaine's room for a movie, the door kept open a few inches in case someone checked up on them, now that the school was aware of their relationship.

Things had quickly gone back to normal once they had returned to school and most of January he had been busy with new projects and assignment as well as the mountains of homework he had to deal with in some classes.

He and Blaine had gone to see 'How to succeed' on Broadway – Kurt's Christmas present for Blaine – Blaine with a Gryffindor tie around his neck while Kurt wore Slytherin's because it matched his eye color. Afterward they had waited outside the stage door in the freezing cold so Blaine could get his playbill signed and catch a glimpse of one of his favorite actors.

His boyfriend had turned into an adorable fan boy as soon as 'Harry' stepped outside and Kurt had snapped gazillion pictures of Blaine and Daniel Radcliff which now plastered the wall in Blaine's room.

In acting class, Ms. Corcoran had announced the choice for the spring semester musical and Kurt couldn't wait to audition because 'Rent' was one of his favorite musicals.

He stopped his internal recap of the past month when his phone alerted him to a new text message and Kurt giggled when he saw that Mercedes had texted him to demand details about his anniversary date last night.

Before he could reply though, the door was flung open and San, Britt and Quinn barged into the room. A groan came from the other bed and Kurt could see Jeff burying his head further underneath his pillow to get back to sleep.

"San, you can't just barge in here. What if I was just getting dressed?" San's eyes raked over his body and Kurt quickly pulled the sheet up to his chin, because her gaze made him feel naked even though he was fully dressed underneath it.

"Oh chill. You're definitely lacking the things I like," San drawled before throwing him a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Come on, get dressed. I needs to get my shopping on and you have proven to have good taste. Bring the hobbit if you want."

Kurt rolled his eyes before he quickly grabbed the garments and rushed into the bathroom to get changed. He really didn't understand why Santana insisted on calling Blaine a hobbit when he was shorter than Blaine and Santana herself wasn't much taller. They were all teenagers after all and his growth spurt could happen any day now, or so he prayed.

When he got out of the bathroom after fixing his hair and brushing his teeth, he sent a quick text to Blaine asking him to meet them for lunch, but not inviting him to the shopping trip because he knew Blaine wasn't a huge fan but would come with nevertheless just to make Kurt happy. And he found Santana scary.

"Alright ladies, let's go. I still need to get Blaine a birthday present anyway – and no, Santana, I don't want to hear your suggestions."

* * *

Blaine at some point stopped counting how many people had congratulated him on being nearly legal. It was only his seventeenth birthday after all, nothing special. He still couldn't vote or get married or go to bars legally. It just made him two years older than his boyfriend who looked even younger than his age.

Maybe he shouldn't have consumed the champagne Wes had brought along to the party if he was thinking those things again, he chastised himself and put his glass down.

Kurt and his friends were dancing in one corner of the club Wes and David had rented for his party and Blaine looked on fondly while his boyfriend gave his all, shaking his butt in tight jeans that looked painted on. He shook his head again, because his mind apparently felt the need to jump from 'my boyfriend looks super young' to staring at his ass. He was so blaming teenage hormones for that.

Of course Wes and David caught him staring and for the next ten minutes he had to do his best to assure him that no, his plans for Kurt were not to unwrap him like the presents he'd gotten.

"Come on, Blaine. You obviously find him hot. You can't tell me you haven't thought about doing stuff with him. I've been seventeen once too," David teased him after Blaine assured his friends again that his thoughts about Kurt were totally gentlemanly.

Yeah, well. Of course he had thought about it, but that didn't mean he would act on them. "I promised myself I wouldn't do anything with him until he turns sixteen. I'm too young for jail," he retorted, causing David to role his eyes.

"And too pretty," Wes added, fluttering his eyelashes coquettishly and Blaine finally had enough of his friends teasing. "I think someone just called me. I need to go," he said, before pushing past them to join Kurt and the girls on the dance floor.

"There's the birthday boy," Kurt yelled when he spotted him and threw his arms around Blaine's neck. Kurt was swaying lightly on his feet and Blaine thought that it was probably time to get him back to school before Kurt would get into trouble for getting back drunk.

They had all gotten permission from their parents to stay out later for the party, but the school still wouldn't look too kindly at them if they all came back completely wasted, seeing as neither of them was twenty-one and Kurt's friend Brittany had only turned fifteen three days ago.

"We should had back," he yelled, because the music was really loud in the club, but Kurt just pouted at him before smashing their lips together, disregarding all the other people around them.

Blaine wasn't exactly sober himself and also a teenage boy so he kissed back for a bit, before he decided he had to be the mature one of the two of them and make sure things didn't get out of hand.

"I just want to have you to myself for a bit," he pleaded, using his best puppy dog eyes and Kurt immediately relented, saying goodbye to his friends and pretty much yanking Blaine out of the door.

No cabs were in sight when they exited the club, but it wasn't too far away from school and temperatures had climbed a bit over the past few days, so they decided to walk back to campus.

Blaine was hoping it would sober them up a bit, because Kurt was acting really out of character and seemed even more wasted than he was at the party they met.

"What did you drink?" he asked, because he had been sure Kurt wasn't drinking much. "Don't know," Kurt shrugged. "Some girl from school got it for me. It tasted really sweet and not strong at all and was really colorful."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and frowned. He really needed to have words with some of the older students so they wouldn't give his boyfriend cocktails again. Kurt's friends had looked pretty out of it as well, so he quickly took out his cell phone and texted Wes and David, telling them to make sure the girls got back to the dorms all right.

Luckily, no adults were around when they finally made it back to the dorms and Blaine led a still giggling Kurt to his room. After Kurt nearly fell over trying to unlace his Doc Martins, Blaine told him to sit down and unlaced them for him before putting a glass of water and Tylenol on his nightstand.

"You okay?" he asked his boyfriend who was struggling with the buttons of his shirt, either not caring that Blaine was still in the room or not realizing it.

"I'm awesome," Kurt replied and Blaine chuckled. "Yes, you are. There's water for you and a pill you should take before you go to bed. Hopefully, Jeff will be back soon, so he can help you if you need something."

"You're leaving?" Kurt asked, not looking too happy about the prospect but Blaine nodded. "You know I can't spend the night here. We'll both get into trouble."

Kurt pouted again before he finally nodded and puckered his lips. "Kiss goodnight?" Blaine took a step forward and briefly pressed his lips to Kurt's, pulling back before his boyfriend could deepen the kiss. Apparently he had created a monster after the kiss on New Year's Eve because lately, Kurt wanted to nothing but make out with him. Not that he was complaining. You know – teenage boy.

After making sure that Kurt was properly taken care of, he finally went upstairs to his own room, where he collapsed on the bed as well, after taking off his own shoes and drinking some water.

Two presents were lying on his nightstand – one from Cooper and one from his dad, but again nothing from his mom. Sometimes he wondered why he still cared when she so obviously wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

* * *

After Blaine's birthday party, Kurt had woken up with an awful hangover, causing him to vow to never drink again, so instead of trying to come up with ideas for Valentine's Day, he and Jeff had wallowed in their misery and had watched 'Hangover' together, while Blaine was taking care of Wes and David who hadn't come home till early in the morning.

Now, four days before V-day, Kurt was getting desperate because he had no idea what one was supposed to do on their first Valentine's Day with one's first boy/girlfriend.

Fortunately, the Jones had bought a new computer over Christmas and so he invited his four best girls for a brainstorming session that evening that Mercedes was joining via Skype.

"Ladies, the reason I asked you here is because Blaine and I are celebrating our first Valentine's Day together and I want it to be perfect. Unfortunately, my brain is stuck right now, so I'm asking you to present your suggestions," he explained once the girls were seated on his and Jeff's beds and Mercedes had joined them on Kurt's laptop.

Britt clapped her hands together excitedly. "You should make him a card with lots of hearts and give him a stuffed animal so he has someone to cuddle with when he can't have you. Or give him one of your shirts – San wears my clothes all the time. Or maybe you can take him to Coney Island and win him a stuff animal," his friend spouted off idea after idea and while a card was definitely a good idea, he had no intentions to drag Blaine to an amusement park, he was pretty sure was closed this time of the year.

"Thanks Britt. Next."

Santana smirked and Kurt knew whatever she was going to say, he wasn't going to like it.

"How about you and him in a nice room at the Waldorf Astoria. And instead of giving him chocolate you can put it on him and lick it off," Santana suggested, seemingly enjoying when his face turned bright red.

"Blaine doesn't like chocolate," he stammered, trying to keep his mind from going there and envisioning it. Damn it, when had he turned into such a typical teenager?

"Doesn't matter. I hear whipped cream is even better," Santana tried to rattle him again but this time he kept himself under control and just shook his head at her before turning to Quinn.

"Quinn?"

The other blonde dropped the phone she was texting with and raised a newly pierced eyebrow at him.

"Men are pigs and Valentine's Day was invented by the flower and sweets industry," Quinn replied icily before picking her phone up again.

Kurt knew that Quinn hadn't had much luck with dating so far either. It wasn't that she didn't find people who wanted to go out with her, but most of them weren't really interested in dating her but only hooking-up.

They had all agreed it was okay for people to casually hook up but only if both people were on the same page, and well, Quinn wanted to be more than just a hook up. So he understood why she might be a little jaded as the only single one in their group of friends,

"You just haven't met anyone yet who deserves to be with you," he quickly assured her, though he wasn't sure she was even paying attention to him.

From the corner of his eye he spotted Mercedes staring with wide eyes and he was glad he had introduced her to his new friends before, because otherwise she probably would be even more confused.

"Please tell me you have a good idea?" he asked her because the other girls hadn't been much help.

"I don't know Kurt. Sam and I, we are just going out to dinner and maybe watch a movie later at my house. Nothing special."

There weren't any big romantic gestures but if he were quite honest he had to admit he'd rather just spend time with Blaine as well than make a huge spectacle out of their relationship.

He told the girls he would consider all their suggestions before they switched to idle chit-chat and Mercedes entertained them with her stories of life in a public high school in Ohio.

At some point Jeff and Nick came in to get one of Jeff's Playstation games and Kurt grinned when he saw that Quinn was checking Nick out.

"So what's his deal?" she asked once the boys had left again. "I know he's not dating Sterling though they are joined at the hip, so who does he like. Boy or girl?"

Kurt shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I don't think he really cares as long as he connects with someone, but I guess you have to ask him yourself if you are interested," he replied and Quinn studied her fingernails.

"I'm not. Just curious."

Kurt didn't buy it for a second and in his head he immediately started making plans to get Quinn and Nick together.

Mercedes excused herself a bit later because she still had homework to do, and at eight sharp the girls returned to their own rooms and Kurt walked upstairs to hang out with Blaine for a while.

He still wasn't a hundred percent sure about his romantic plans, but had gotten reservations for a small restaurant his aunt had recommended as backup plan. The rest would hopefully come to him eventually.

* * *

Meanwhile, Blaine was facing a similar problem and had asked Wes and David to come to his room to help him out.

"Oh, no. It must be serious. His hair is all over the place," David immediately stage whispered to Wes when the two entered his room and Blaine rolled his eyes. With their antics he didn't understand they had been surprised their girlfriends had both dumped them at pretty much the same time. Sometimes he questioned his own sanity when it came to his friends.

"As you know it's Valentine's Day in a few days and I have no ideas at all," he moaned. "I just suck at romance."

"Then you've come to the right people. We are great with romantic gestures." Well, he couldn't refute this claim because while they were still dating their girlfriends, the girls had always gushed about his friends' romantic gestures.

"Well, Katherine used to love it when we went and had a picnic. Sounds like something Kurt might enjoy as well," David suggested, but Wes shot him an incredulous look.

"Dude, it's February and the city is covered in snow. Do you want them to get pneumonia right before the auditions for the musical."

David looked sheepish for a moment before he turned to Wes. "Then pray tell, oh great Wesley, what is your amazing suggestion?"

Blaine had to jump out of the way when his friends started to mock wrestle over David's use of the dreaded name Wesley.

"I'm sorry, I take it back," David finally surrendered and Blaine offered them both a hand to get them back on their feet.

"What's your idea?" he asked Wes now that he had their attention again.

"Okay, so Tania really liked it when I cooked us dinner. All you need are a few candles and voilà – romantic dinner for two."

Blaine's eyes lit up, because that was a great idea. They had a small kitchen in the dorm building the students were allowed to use as long as they cleaned up after them and it couldn't be too hard to follow a recipe, right?

"That's a great idea, Wes. I could but a blanket down on the floor and we could have a sort of picnic indoors with the food I made."

Both of his friends suddenly looked horrified though. "Do you want to give Kurt food poisoning?" David exclaimed and Blaine huffed.

"No, seriously, Blaine. You can't cook," Wes added. "Then why even bring it up," he asked, glaring at his two best friends.

"I was going to add that in your case it would be safer to have food delivered when you interrupted me," Wes shot back, a horrified look still on his face.

So yeah, maybe he wasn't the best cook, but he was certain his skills didn't warrant this kind of reaction.

"Well, I'm going to prove you all wrong. I'll make something simple but I'm going to cook Kurt dinner," he decided before ushering them out of the room because he had to google a few simple dishes.

He could still hear them mumbling 'poor boy' under their breaths when they left the room, but Blaine didn't let their attitude discourage him.

Kurt would be happy with him even if he wasn't some amazing chef, because it was the intent that counted, right?

And maybe after dinner he could tell Kurt three little words that had been floating around his mind and had been trying to escape for a few weeks now.

* * *

When V-day finally arrived, Kurt took his time getting ready. Only after his hair was styled to perfection and he had selected the perfect outfit – Blaine's favorite pair of jeans, knee high boots, burgundy button-up and silver vest – did he take a moment to go over his plans again.

They had agreed to meet in Blaine's room at seven for a surprise Blaine had planned and after he would take Blaine to the small restaurant where they would have a romantic dinner, which was his surprise.

Jeff was already gone, having his own plans with his girlfriend, when he finally deemed himself completely ready and at ten to seven he made his way upstairs to Blaine's room.

He didn't get far however, because he was suddenly grabbed by Blaine's best friends and dragged into the opposite direction.

"Hey, let me go. I'm own my way to see Blaine," he told them as he struggled to get out of their grasps but the boys didn't let go.

"We know, but this is an emergency."

Kurt rolled his eyes and wondered not for the first time if people would still call him a drama queen if they ever met Wes and David.

He got even more confused when they dragged him down a corridor that led to the kitchen but dug his heel into the floor when he saw smoke coming out of the door.

Wes and David yanked the door open and pulled him inside and Kurt stopped in his tracks when he saw a frantic Blaine trying to get the smoke out of the window.

"It's okay. It's under control now. Do you think those are still edible," his boyfriend asked, turning around and waving a fork full of burned pasta in front of him until he spotted Kurt and immediately dropped it.

"Kurt, what are you doing here? Dinner isn't till seven," Blaine exclaimed, dear caught in headlights look on his face.

"I'm going to state the obvious here and say dinner isn't happening," David retorted and Blaine turned bright red, before he whispered "surprise", looking like a kicked puppy when his friends started laughing.

"Well, I think it's good I made reservations for us," Kurt deadpanned before he took in his boyfriend's appearance.

His hair looked like he had run his hands through it repeatedly, glasses were perched on his nose and he was wearing sweatpants and a NYADA hoodie.

"Why don't you get upstairs and get ready to go out while I and the boys take care of the kitchen," Kurt suggested and glared at Wes and David when they started to protest.

"Kurt, no. I made the mess, I'll clean it," Blaine protested as well, but Kurt shook his head. "If we don't want to lose our table you don't, so shoo."

Blaine hung his head, but apparently accepted defeat because he left the kitchen after assuring him he would hurry.

Half an hour later they finally left campus, their intertwined gloved hands swinging between them.

"So what was your surprise supposed to be?" Kurt asked as they were walking toward the restaurant.

"I thought I would cook us dinner and we'd have a romantic dinner in my room," Blaine explained, still looking a bit down and Kurt squeezed his hand and quickly dropped a kiss on the corner of Blaine's mouth.

"That was such a sweet idea. But I'm starting to think we should have talked about our plans before we made them because you were trying to surprise me when I was trying to surprise you."

Blaine nodded before he wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him closer. "Maybe next time we could cook dinner together just to make sure I don't burn it again," he suggested because he liked the domesticity of the idea. Maybe he was indeed an old soul trapped in the body of a teenager.

"I can't believe you managed to burn the pasta. Granted my dad did the same after my mom died because he didn't realize you had to cook water first before you put the noodles in."

Blaine snorted next to him and Kurt could stop his own laugh from escaping either. It was easier now to laugh about his dad's attempts at managing their lives after his mother had passed, now that time had passed and it didn't hurt so much anymore.

"Well, at least I knew to heat up the water first, but yeah, I think you should teach me some things."

"Deal," Kurt replied because it sounded like a nice idea, cooking dinner together. "Just out of curiosity. The food at your house over Christmas didn't taste too bad. Is your dad a better cook than mine?" Kurt continued and Blaine shook his head.

"God, no. All the Anderson men are hopeless in the kitchen, so my dad mostly eats out or orders in and Cooper relies on his roommate to feed him. We ordered the food from a restaurant and all I did was heat it up," Blaine confessed.

"Well, maybe I should give you all cooking lessons the next time your family is in town," Kurt joked but Blaine looked pensive. "You know, I think my dad would actually go for it if he found the time in his busy schedule. He did say he wanted us to more things together.

"Have you told him about the musical yet?" Kurt asked because if Blaine's dad was really trying he should come to see his son perform without Blaine having to lie about the performance.

"Not yet. I thought I'll call him when I know if I got cast."

"You will. You are amazing."

They shared a brief kiss before entering the restaurant they had reached while they had been talking.

Kurt felt really grown up during dinner, as he was on a romantic date with his boyfriend just like all the other people in the room. The place was small and cozy and they ended up in a table in a corner because another couple had cancelled last minute.

When Kurt saw they had spaghetti with meatballs, he was tempted for a moment to order them just to reenact a scene from one of his favorite Disney movies but Blaine had changed into a white dress shirt and he was afraid to spill sauce on him accidentally.

In the end he settled on lasagna while Blaine ordered pasta arrabiata and they shared a few breadsticks before the main course arrived that tasted a lot better than they did at Breadstix back in Lima, which for some reason was famous for its breadsticks.

They talked about everything and nothing during dinner, only letting go of their joined hands when their food arrived and when Kurt wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of Blaine's mouth, Blaine looked back at him – dare he hope – lovingly.

Kurt had never been in love before, so he wasn't sure if that was what he was feeling, but he knew that right now he couldn't imagine his life without Blaine. That had to be love, right? But when was the right time to say it and who should say it first? And what if Blaine didn't feel the same about him and thought he was childish and naïve for thinking what they had was love?

He didn't stop mulling those questions over until he nearly dropped a piece of lasagna into his lap, which made him pay attention at his surroundings again.

"Any other surprises I should be aware of?" Kurt asked after he had paid for both of them, after reminding Blaine that he had paid for their last date, and they were ready to leave.

"Well, I wanted to make good on my promise and take you on a carriage ride through Central Park, but they were all pretty much booked by the time I asked, so I figured we would just stay in after dinner and watch a movie together."

"Then it's probably time to tell you that I might be a tiny bit afraid of horses so you won't make good on your promise in the future;" Kurt replied as he let Blaine help him get his coat back on.

"I sense a story there." They intertwined their hands again as they left the restaurant and Kurt nodded. "One I'm sure my dad will tell you one day."

Blaine didn't point out that the statement only was true if Kurt told his dad about them for which he was grateful and instead changed the subject. "So where too? Or do you just want to head back to school?"

"Maybe we can just take a walk through the park. It's so beautiful covered in snow like this," Kurt suggested and Blaine immediately agreed.

They wrapped their arms around each other again once the cold got to them, a few snowflakes descending onto them when they reached Bow Bridge and Kurt cuddled up as closely to Blaine as possible to keep them warm.

He could feel Blaine's eyes on him when they stopped for a moment the night sky illuminated by the full moon.

"What?" he asked when Blaine wouldn't look away. "I, I'm really happy to be with you," Blaine replied after a moments hesitation and for one second Kurt had been sure Blaine was going to say something else and his heart had stopped.

But he hadn't so he returned the sentiment because he couldn't imagine a better person than Blaine to spend this day with.

"You're shivering and it's getting late," his boyfriend said after another moment of them gazing into each other's eyes and Kurt realized that Blaine was right and that the cold was getting to him. "Let's get you home."

They sped up on the walk back to the dorms, briefly considering hailing a cab but without his regular income from his dad's shop he just didn't have the money anymore to waste it on things like cabs.

Blaine walked him back to his room, just in time for his curfew and when they saw the light shine through under the door alerting them to Jeff's presence, Blaine wrapped his arms around him and soundly kissed him good night.

"Good night, Kurt. Sweet dreams," Blaine whispered before he pulled back but Kurt pulled him back in, not ready to let him go yet, not before another kiss.

"Good night. Love you," he finally whispered and it took him a moment to realize what he had just said. "I mean, I," he quickly tried to back peddle because Blaine looked shocked but Blaine cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"I love you too, Kurt." "Wow." His brain to mouth filter was apparently taking a nap because he couldn't stop himself from saying the things he only allowed himself to think about usually.

"Wow, indeed. I'm so glad I came to my senses because look at how much I gained."

They both sounded like the cheesiest teen romance novels, but Kurt couldn't care less. And who could blame him – after all that was were he had learned everything about love and relationships. If people on TV could get away with saying things like that, so could he.

They shared a few more passionate kisses in front of Kurt's room until one of the teachers on dorm duty cleared his throat behind them and told Blaine to say good night.

His face was still bright red when he went into his room, but when Jeff smirked and asked if he had a good date, all he could do was nod and smile even wider.

Because he loved Blaine and Blaine loved him back.

* * *

The next morning he was woken up by his phone ringing on his nightstand and Kurt quickly picked it up as to not wake up Jeff. Jeff's bed was empty though and Kurt wondered how long he had slept.

"Hello," he mumbled sleepily. "Long night last night, kiddo?" his dad's voice came through and Kurt sat up straighter and tried to get his still sleep addled brain to properly function.

"Not really. Just hung out with a few of the other singles watching movies," he replied, his heart clenching as he was hit by the guilt, like it had since Christmas every time he lied to his dad about what was going on in his life.

He knew he couldn't go on like that and he was trying to work up the courage to tell his dad the next time he saw him over spring break. Not about Blaine, but about himself, because he wanted to know first how his dad felt about him being gay, before he dropped the boyfriend bomb.

He wasn't in any kind of hurry because Finn's glee club had kept their promise and hadn't spilled his and Blaine's secret to anyone. He might have reached a point in his life where he just wanted to get it over with but he needed to do it face to face so could see his dad's reaction.

"What about you and Carole? Did you do something nice for her?" he asked to get the focus off of him and his dad swallowed it up and immediately launched his tale about how he had wooed his wife.

"The evening might have ended nicer if we hadn't found your brother fooling around on our living room couch with his girlfriend, but I'd say the evening was a success," his dad concluded and Kurt rolled his eyes because for some reason Finn always managed to get caught when he wasn't around to help him out.

"That's not something I need to worry about with you, right?" his dad asked after a beat. "Fooling around with someone on our living room couch. No, I don't think so," Kurt joked hoping his dad would drop the subject because he knew he wasn't asking about that.

"Alright, I get it. You are a teenager and you don't want to tell your old man everything about your life. Just, make good choices, okay. You are still young, there's no need to rush things."

And the guilt was back full force. "I know dad. And I'm doing my best, but I know I won't always get it right."

His dad sighed on the other end of the line before he responded. "I know. I wish I could make sure you never made any mistakes but just know I'm there for you if you need me."

And stabbed him in his heart. A single tear trickled down his face and he knew he had to get off the line before he started crying for real.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, kiddo. Let me know how that audition of yours goes."

"I will."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider. You'd be the perfect Angel to my Collins because if you were my stage partner I wouldn't have any problems to show the proper emotions when Angel dies," Blaine tried again on their way to the auditorium where auditions for 'Rent' were being held.

"I'm sure. I'm not ready for this."

He wasn't just saying this because he was afraid to fail, but because he knew he wasn't there yet. Being able to sing the songs wasn't an issue, he was certain he could do that, but he'd only had acting lessons for one semester and he didn't feel ready to tackle a role like this.

There were so many talented people in this school and he knew his time would come as well when he was ready, but for now he would let the older students have their chance.

He was perfectly fine with being part of the ensemble if he got cast, because there was nothing wrong with being part of it for one, and secondly, he had always liked the small characters in 'Rent' and the different roles the ensemble performed in the musical.

"Well, at least you are still singing 'I'll cover you' with me," Blaine conceded. "Just don't be surprised if Ms. Corcoran asks you to read for Angel."

She didn't and Kurt was perfectly fine with it. After all she was his teacher and was aware of his abilities.

Blaine was great as always when he acted out Collins part in the title song and Kurt didn't see any reason why he shouldn't get the role. But then again, he might be slightly biased because Blaine was his very handsome boyfriend who loved him.

Sometimes he really wanted to call up all the jerks in Lima who had called him a freak who no ones was ever going to love and tell them about Blaine just to prove them wrong.

After Blaine had finished his audition, they waited outside for Santana who had decided to audition as well, because 'she was born to play Mimi'. She certainly looked the part Kurt thought and she was one of the best in their acting class, not counting their Shakespeare assignment because they had all sucked in this one.

As far as he knew most of their Vocal Explosion teammates were auditioning which delighted Alyson because it would make it easier for her to arrange their rehearsal schedule if they all were involved in the same musical.

* * *

The cast list went up on the last day of February and Kurt was happy to see that Ms. Corcoran had given him the part of the waiter of the Life Café and a few other small parts. Unfortunately that meant that he couldn't be part of the life support group. 'Will I' was one song he would really have liked to sing.

Blaine hugged him tightly after he checked out the list as well and Kurt congratulated his boyfriend for getting the role he wanted, though he had never doubted Blaine in the first place.

Their celebrations were interrupted by Wes and David who immediately started to tease his boyfriend. "Well, Blaine. I know you've wanted to plant one on me for years so now you finally get the chance to do it," Wes joked, as he had been cast as Angel.

"Just don't get jealous Kurt, okay." Kurt ignored his remark because the only one he would have had a problem with was Sebastian, who to his surprise had been cast as Roger. Rehearsal was definitely going to be interesting because Santana wasn't a fan of his either, but had to play his own stage love interest. He'd have to talk to Britt and Quinn later so they could properly celebrate Santana's success.

All other major roles had been filled with members of VE as well as predicted – Alyson as Maureen, David as Mark, Nick as Benjamin and Sunshine as Joanne – and so they soon retired to their allocated rehearsal space to celebrate their successes.

Blaine and Alyson disappeared somewhere at some point so Kurt hung out with the girls in the mean time, watching as Britt bounced up and down happily between kissing and hugging Santana.

When his boyfriend returned a while later he had an even bigger smile on his face than before. "What did she want?" Kurt asked, curious to know what had caused Blaine's reaction.

"Alyson told me she wants to endorse me for team captain at the end of the school year and asked me to help her prepare for Regionals so I can learn the ropes. So now that I have an in, I could help you get a part for the competition."

Kurt immediately shook his head. "That's sweet Blaine, but if they ever pick me for a solo I want it because I earned it, not because I'm dating the captain."

"You are so selfless and I love that about you," Blaine replied and Kurt decided they had stayed at the impromptu party long enough and it was time for them to take advantage of his empty dorm room for a bit.

After all, kissing Blaine was his favorite hobby nowadays.

* * *

Blaine still felt elated when he came back to his own room, after spending the better of the past hour kissing Kurt, and it was probably his endorphin high that made him dial his father's number.

"Hello Blaine," his dad answered and at least he didn't sound too busy. "How are you?" "I'm good dad. You?" "I'm well. Lots of work but yeah," his father trailed off.

"Was there a reason you called? Not that I'm not happy to hear for you, but I was about to head out for a charity dinner."

"Oh, I don't want to hold you up. I just wanted to tell you that I got a lead role in the spring musical and I was hoping you would come to New York to see it. It's in late April but I don't know the exact date yet."

The line went silent for a moment and Blaine was steeling himself for one of his father's usual excuses. His answer surprised him though.

"I wrote it down in my calendar, but please let me know the exact date as soon as possible." "So you are really coming, even though it's just a musical?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"You told me it's important to you and you did convince me you are good at what you are doing. So yes, I will try to make it. I love you and I'm proud of you even when you don't follow the path I laid out for you."

Blaine swallowed hard because hearing his dad say he was proud of him was something he always wanted to hear. "Love you too, dad," he replied, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Well, I got to go. You and Kurt still seeing each other." "Yes." "Good, then give him my regards. I take the two of you out for dinner the next time I come to New York."

Blaine was still staring at his phone long after his dad had hung up because his dad was finally saying the right things. Being honest about who he was might have cost him his mother, but he felt better about his relationship with his father than he ever had.

* * *

**AN: **A little bit of a filler episode, but some content set up the final arc of the season. Three more episodes after this one.

PS: And in case you were wondering why I keep calling the chapters episodes. I started writing this in script form with an HBO/Showtime format in mind, before I found out you couldn't post formats like this on here. So yeah, in my mind this is still a Kurt centric TV series, influenced by my European upbringing (in case you were wondering why the teens party and drink a lot ;) )

PPS: The pasta thing – true story. I guy I went to HS with actually tried to cook pasta without putting water into the pot first. That taught his mom to stop coddling him and teach him some life skills.


	15. 1x10: Regionals

**AN: **I guess I kind of kept my update promise. It's Friday somewhere, right? ;) In honor of 4x14 you get some more Klaine making out :) And I gotta admit, if I weren't already writing Brittana, I might have tried my hand on Quintana.

* * *

**1x10 Regionals**

_Previously on NYADA – Freshman Year: Kurt and Blaine both tried to surprise one another on Valentine's Day, but the real surprise was Blaine nearly burning down the kitchen in his attempt to cook a romantic dinner for Kurt. In the end it all worked out because when Kurt blurted out that he loved Blaine, Blaine told him he loved him too. Both boys auditioned for the spring musical and got the parts they wanted and Kurt made the decision to come out to his dad once he went back to Lima during spring break. And that's what you missed on NYADA – Freshman Year._

After Vocal Explosion had done pop songs for Sectionals, Alyson had degreed that they would do numbers from musicals for their Regionals performance. She had picked 'Seasons of Love' as the big group number because nearly all members of the glee club were already rehearsing it for the musical anyway, so they would only have to focus on preparing two additional songs. David and Sunshine were giving the two lead parts because they both had really incredibly strong voices.

Kurt was beside himself when he got a small part in their second group number after he had auditioned with a Beatles' song. He had been given Seaweed's part in the closing number from 'Hairspray' and would duet with Brittany on it. Blaine didn't get a solo this time either and to everyone's surprise he had been paired up with Quinn to perform Tracy and Link's lines, while Santana would provide the final lines of the song.

Their last song was a mash up 'Anything goes' and 'Anything you can do' were Alyson would face off against the rest of the team. Kurt thought their set list sounded great and was told multiple times not to worry because Vocal Explosion had made it to Nationals for the past ten years and most of the seniors wanted to go out with at least one national title.

After Santana instructed Brittany to keep her hands off Kurt, they retired to the girls' dorm room after official rehearsal was over to rehearse some more privately.

"Britt, why does San always tell you not to hook up with guys? Isn't that given because you are dating her?" Kurt had to ask at some point because he didn't think Britt was the kind of person to cheat on Santana, whether the fierce Latina wanted to put a label on their relationship or not.

"Oh, when San and I met at cheer camp I was going out with this boy, but San told me it wouldn't be cheating because the plumbing was different," the blonde explained and Kurt blushed, because that was kind of what he always did when someone mentioned sex or something like that.

"But she told me that now that we are together she doesn't like me making out with boys and she only said that at camp because she wanted me to be with her."

Kurt nodded because that sounded like something Santana would say to get what she wanted. Personally, he thought they were a bit young to have cheating histories all ready, but he kept his mouth shut, because it wasn't his place to comment on his friends' relationships. He just wished they would grant him the same courtesy.

Kurt stayed with Brittany until Santana returned from a study group, but as soon as the girls started kissing enthusiastically while he was still in the room, he quickly excused himself and texted Blaine to see if he wanted to hang out aka make out.

Blaine was game and Kurt spent the remaining time until he had to return to his own room on Blaine's bed, practicing his hickey giving technique.

* * *

As soon as he was sure New Directions had heard the verdict he called Mercedes who picked up with a sigh.

"I take it it didn't go too well?" Kurt asked because surely Mercedes would sound happier if they had won their Regionals competition.

"Let's just say Vocal Adrenaline wiped the floor with us." Kurt was surprised. He had heard Harmony sing when they had helped out in the homeless shelter over Christmas and that girl had pipes.

"What happened?" "Well, Mr. Shue insisted on having one solo performer carrying nearly all three numbers and when Harmony got food poisoning like right before we were supposed to go on – there are rumors Rachel knew there was something in the food she got Harmony that she wasn't supposed to eat – Rachel insisted on taking over, because of the deal with Mr. Schue, instead of us using some group numbers we had rehearsed in Glee. She wasn't bad, because as much as I don't like her the girl can sing, but she wasn't prepared like Harmony had been."

"I'm sorry, but you're only a freshman. You'll get another chance next year," Kurt tried to cheer his best friend up. He was extremely grateful that VE chose soloists after everyone had the chance to audition if they wanted.

"Maybe it's for the best. I don't think we would have stood a chance at Nationals anyway, not with half of the team so new to singing," Mercedes' sighed and Kurt had to agree. He was surprised the new club had come this far with all the jocks joining who didn't have much previous musical experience.

"Well, you know Nationals are in New York this year and you don't need the excuse to have a reason to come here. If your parents let you, you are always welcome to come for a visit," he assured her, happy that she was sounding much happier herself already.

"But you are coming home for spring break, right? It's been too long already."

"Yeah, I am. I think I'm going to come out to my dad when I'm in Lima," he confided in her.

"That's great, Kurt. And you know, if it doesn't go well for some reason and you need some space, you can always come by my house. My brother isn't coming home his spring break so his room is free."

Kurt was grateful for the offer but he really hoped he wouldn't have to take her up on it.

He had to cut the call short then because Blaine had arrived to take them for their usual Sunday coffee at the Lima Bean.

"Yeah, okay. Go see lover boy. Just promise your club's going to beat Vocal Adrenaline if you make it to Nationals," she joked. "Oh trust me, we'll give it our best. It's Alyson's senior year and she wants to beat her brother at least once. I think I told you her brother is the lead of Vocal Adrenaline."

"Well, good luck for Regionals. Let me know how it goes and don't be a stranger."

"Ready to go?" Blaine asked once Kurt had hung up, and Kurt let Blaine help him into his coat before they ventured out into the snow-covered streets.

* * *

"Are going back to Ohio as well for spring break. I might need a shoulder to cry on," Kurt asked between kisses that had grown increasingly more passionate over the past months. His boyfriend removed his lips from where he had been sucking a hickey into Kurt's neck and looked up.

"Yeah, I probably will now that things with my dad are going well. But why do you think you're going to be unhappy?"

Kurt stole another quick kiss before he explained. "I'm going to come out to my dad and if he's okay with it, I promise I'll tell him about us soon as well. I just want to give him a bit of time to get used to the idea before I spring a boyfriend on him as well."

Before Blaine could replay, Kurt pressed their lips together again, not stopping until they broke apart for air.

"Do you want me to be there when you do? As moral support," Blaine asked, slightly out of breath and Kurt shook his head.

"No, I think that's something I have to do on my own, just knowing you are somewhat close by is enough."

"Okay," Blaine agreed, before they went back to the task at hand. Kurt couldn't get enough of the feeling of Blaine's lips on his skin, wearing V-neck shirts a lot now when he knew he and Blaine would have some uninterrupted time, but he wanted to taste and touch more of Blaine's as well.

Blaine didn't seem to mind when Kurt let his hand travel up his boyfriend's back, first over his shirt and then under, but Kurt still wanted more. It was definitely a new feeling but at the moment he wanted nothing more than feel Blaine's skin against his own.

"Can we get them off, the shirts;" he panted into Blaine's ear but instead of feeling his boyfriend's hands on him, Blaine suddenly pulled back.

"I think we should cool down a bit," Blaine replied, rubbing the back of his neck, a gesture Kurt had learned meant Blaine was nervous.

"Why?" Kurt pouted, trying to pull Blaine back, but his boyfriend sat up and put some distance between them.

"Don't you think we are moving a little fast?" Blaine replied and Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's not like I asked you to sleep with me. We both know we aren't ready for that. But it's just shirts, right. Guys are shirtless all the time."

"Yeah, and then this won't be enough either, and before we know it we'll lose control and do something we both will probably regret if we rush things."

Kurt was sure he had better self-control and he had thought Blaine had as well. He still wasn't used to people finding him desirable like that.

"Look Kurt, you aren't even sixteen yet, which is the age of consent and I really don't want to take any of your clothes of until then. I'm too young for jail and too pretty apparently."

Kurt really didn't want to wait till May to see his boyfriend shirtless. "I promise we'll keep it at shirtless kissing. I know you wouldn't pressure me or ignore me if I said no," Kurt tried again, but the mood had already changed and he knew that if it was going to happen, it wasn't happening today.

"Okay, we can try it soon but if things get out of hand we won't again till you are older," Blaine finally suggested and Kurt grabbed his hand and shook it. "Deal. Now where were we?"

Before they could get back to kissing however Blaine's roommate Beatz barged in and flopped onto the bed on the other side of the room.

"Don't mind me," he mumbled. "I'm just going to die now. Whoever thought Dakota Stanley should be allowed to teach should get their heads examined."

Yeah, the mood was definitely ruined.

* * *

After navigating through a myriad of websites, Burt had finally managed to book his train ticket for the coming weekend.

"Are sure you won't be able to come with me to surprise Kurt?" he asked his wife when Carole helped him print out the ticket, but she shook his head. "I promised Mrs. Sanders that I help her with a few things at home. She still isn't very mobile and her kids left her as soon as she was discharged from the hospital."

Helping out their elderly neighbor who had broken her hip in a fall definitely took precedence over a surprise trip to New York and so he let it go.

He was very exited to take the train to New York for Kurt's show choir performance because he hadn't heard his new Glee club perform yet and he knew how happy it made his son, when he managed to come to his performances.

"What time's the performance?" Carole asked, a while later after he had wrangled his suitcase down from the attic and Burt checked the mail Kate had sent him.

"Kurt's group goes on last, around three pm. The train gets in at two and Kate's going to pick me up from the station and drive us straight to the school where the completion is being held," he explained while Carole held out a few dress shirts for him to pack.

Burt felt a lot more comfortable in his flannel shirts but he knew his son would like it if he dressed a bit better while he was in the big city.

"I'm sure Kurt's going to be so happy to see you. You need to ask Kate to video tape it again."

Burt nodded before his wife continued. "Just don't use the trip to spy on Kurt, okay?" Burt nodded again. "No, you were right. Kurt wouldn't hide something like his first relationship from me, so I have to trust him when he says he and Blaine are just friends. I'll just continue to be nice to Blaine so he'll know he has nothing to fear from me."

Carole gave him a big smile and Burt knew that had been the right thing to say. Deep down he knew that the reason he wasn't telling Kurt he was coming was that he wanted to see Kurt in his natural habitat so to speak, when he was unaware he could be watched. But he wouldn't go out of his way to find out if something was going on or not.

* * *

Regionals like Sectionals went really well for them and after 'Spring Awakening' Kurt felt a lot more comfortable performing in front of a big audience. They had gone on last and Kurt had been surprised and a bit disappointed that aunt Kate hadn't shown up before the show, but she had texted him moments before they went on stage that she had arrived and was setting up her camera.

They had agreed that she would take him out to dinner afterward, but when he had asked if Blaine could come as well, she had been acting a bit weird. So he couldn't wait to run into her to figure out what was going on.

It only took the judges fifteen minutes before they were called on stage and a few minutes later, Vocal Explosion was a consecutive elven-times Regional champion.

Aunt Kate met them outside after they had changed into their street clothes and Kurt ran up to her and hugged her tightly because it had been close to two months since he had last seen her.

His aunt embraced Blaine as well, but she seemed twitchy, constantly looking around the foyer. "Are you waiting for someone?" he asked when she looked toward the door again, but aunt Kate shook her head.

"Just thought I saw someone," she said but Kurt wasn't convinced. Just then her phone went off, signaling an incoming text and after she had read it her features relaxed.

"Alright boys, let's get you some food before you head off to your victory party," she announced with a smile and Blaine looked so happy because he was being included that Kurt didn't ask why she had changed her mind about Blaine joining them.

His aunt drove them to a small restaurant she knew in Chelsea and the three of them squeezed into a small booth in the corner, Kurt sitting down next to Blaine while they face aunt Kate.

They made small talk at first, him and Blaine telling her about the musical and other school related things before she changed the topic to something more serious.

"So have you told Burt about Blaine yet?" she asked and Kurt shook his head. "But I will. Soon. I want to tell him about me when I get home. That's a conversation that I need to have face to face."

His aunt's eyes widened for a moment but when she didn't comment, Kurt didn't ask her about it. Because he knew his aunt – if she didn't want to tell, she wouldn't tell no matter how many times you asked her.

"Good for you," she said before changing the subject again. "So, big plans for tonight?"

Blaine explained about the victory party Vocal Explosion was going to throw in one of the common rooms and when aunt Kate told them not to overdo it, they both nodded immediately, because while his aunt might be young and cool he wasn't sure she wouldn't tell his dad if she knew what NYADA parties were really like.

After dinner she drove them back to school where she reminded them again to have fun, but not too much, but Kurt just rolled his eyes because he had heard stories about his aunt as a teenager and she hadn't been a saint either.

* * *

Burt just had the worst of luck. He had gotten on the first train out of Ohio and for a while everything had gone smoothly, but by now he had already been stuck on an unmoving train for two hours and his son was going on stage in three. They were somewhere in Pennsylvania and all they had been told so far was that a blizzard had caused a few trees to fall over and some of them had landed on the tracks, making it impossible for them to move forward until they were all removed and electricity restored.

Not knowing what else to do he went to the small bar on board the train and ordered a beer while texting his sister to keep her updated. Time ticked by and after his third beer Burt realized that there was no way in hell he would still make it to New York on time, so he texted Kate again to tell her she didn't have to wait for him at the station anymore and to text him where she was taking Kurt to dinner so he could join them once he arrived in the city.

But apparently the universe was against him, because half an hour later, they were herded off the train and put on buses that took them to a large motel close to the train station. He was assured they would be able to continue their trip the next morning before he was dumped with a group of other travelers in front of the motel.

He knew he could have it worse, because at least he wasn't traveling with crying children, but it still sucked that he was stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere with no car rental place in sight instead of taking his son to dinner, after winning another show choir competition.

Resigned to his fate, he ordered some food in a small diner across the street after checking in and calling Carole to update her on his whereabouts. A man about his age sat down next to him at the bar and Burt recognized him from the train.

"You're on your way to New York as well?" he asked and Burt nodded. "Business or pleasure?"

"I was going to surprise my son at his show choir competition. He goes to a private high school in the city." He eyed the man closely expecting to see him frown, but the man just smiled.

"It sucks when your kids live so far away, doesn't it. My son, he's in his second semester at Julliard and he's so busy, I haven't seen him since Thanksgiving. And now I missed his first performance as well, so I know how you feel man."

Burt was clearly not in Ohio anymore when men his age readily accepted that he traveled all the way to New York to see his son in a show choir competition. They stayed a while longer after they finished their food, talking about Ohio and how hard it was for kids with performing aspirations in a public high school were only the jocks were popular.

He had never thought that was a bad thing until his own son started middle school and he started to realize how the other kids treated Kurt. If he had a time machine he would go back in time and hit his younger self over the head, because he had been kind of a douche in high school.

At close to ten he excused himself and went to his room, because he wanted to take the very first train to New York so he would at least have a full day with his son.

* * *

The party was already in full swing when Kurt's aunt dropped them off on campus. As usual, no teachers were around because when Vocal Explosion won competitions, alumni donations came in, and the school wanted their star show choir happy. It probably thought nothing too bad could happen as long as the students celebrated on campus in the safety of the dorm building.

Kurt excused himself to go change into a party appropriate outfit – probably one of the tight jeans Blaine liked a lot if he was honest– and Blaine quickly went to his own room as well, to fix his hear and change his shirt.

Half an hour later they entered one of the common rooms hand in hand, music blasting inside and a throng of students shaking their hips on the makeshift dance floor.

David was talking to a pretty brunet, Blaine thought he recognized from the competition, but it wouldn't be the first time that students who didn't go to NYADA showed up for one of the parties.

"I'm going to get us drinks. What would you like?" he asked his boyfriend, shouting over the loud music. "Something bubbly if they have. It's a celebration after all."

Blaine raised his eyebrow because it had only been a few weeks since Kurt had declared to never drink again. He pushed through the party goers while Kurt went over to his girls, until he found the makeshift bar were Wes was playing bartender for another girl from a rival show choir.

"That's Sandy. She and her friend are from a group from New Jersey and they decided to spend the night in the city. David and I offered to host them to get them off the street," Wes introduced the tall blonde and Blaine rolled his eyes, because if he knew Wes, he really meant it and hadn't just offered them a place to stay as a ploy to seduce them.

"What can I get you?" Wes continued. "Something bubbly for Kurt and a beer for me;" he told his friend who pulled a half full bottle of champagne out of a cooler to pour a glass, before digging around a mini fridge for the imported beer he had introduced Blaine to at his' New Year's Eve party the previous year.

Drinks in hand he fought his way back to Kurt, handed him his glass, and watched him down in one go. He had barely taken two sips from his beer before Kurt yanked him on the dance floor. "I love that new Lady Gaga song. Dance with me," he yelled and Blaine handed his drink to Nick who was just passing by, before linking his hands with Kurt's.

Kurt looked so happy and carefree when he twirled him around between the other students and they were both out of breath and thirsty after dancing to a few more up beat pop songs.

Kurt's friends Brittany and Santana had disappeared when they returned to the corner they had last seen them, but Nick was still there, entertaining Quinn, who was actually smiling for once.

"Wait here. I'll get us another round of drinks," Kurt whispered in his ear, before he disappeared into the crowd.

"Great performance tonight," a voice told him and Blaine turned around just to come face to face with Sebastian.

"Thanks, but I really didn't do much this performance," he replied, hoping that Sebastian would keep his promise and not hit on him again.

"Where's the kid? Did you send him to bed already," Sebastian continued after surveying the room and Blaine frowned.

"Sebastian, please. I know you don't like that I'm with Kurt, but I won't let you talk about him like that."

Sebastian immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. I can't help it. It's just that the only thing I ever really wanted I can't have and it pisses me off from time to time. I'll get out of your face. There has to be someone here I haven't hooked up with yet."

Blaine watched the older boy go, wondering not for the first time what had happened to Sebastian to make him act the way he did. Before he could ponder it any further, Kurt returned with fresh drinks, and Blaine immediately refocused his attention on his amazing boyfriend.

"What did he want?" Kurt basically growled and man, that shouldn't sound as sexy as it did.

"Just the usual. I told him off and he apologized. I don't think he'll bother us again tonight. Too much fresh meat here."

Kurt relaxed again and for a few minutes they just sipped on their drinks and observed their friends and classmates going crazy. Blaine dragged Kurt back out on the dance floor when the music changed and Katy Perry came on, and after a while he lost track of how many drinks they had had and to how many songs they had danced.

Around two o'clock the party was slowly winding down and when Kurt pulled him along to his room for a proper kiss tonight, Blaine didn't protest. Jeff was spending the night in a hotel with his family, which had flown in from Chicago to watch their performance, so they wouldn't be disturbed if one kiss good night turned into a few more.

As soon as they entered the room, Kurt took his vest off and threw it onto his desk chair, and Blaine stared at strip of exposed skin when Kurt's shirt rode up in the process. Why had he been against taking their shirts off again?

When he looked up, Kurt was smiling shyly, clearly having caught him staring and Blaine blushed because he felt out of depth here.

"Do you want to sit down?" Kurt asked, patting the space on the bed next to him and Blaine rushed over and sat down next to Kurt after taking his shoes off.

It didn't take long until they both were lying on the bed, both on their sides, propped up by their elbows, Blaine's tongue exploring Kurt's mouth.

"If you still want to, we could take out shirts off," he suggested before he could stop his mouth, but when Kurt nodded eagerly he told his brain to shut up.

"You first," Kurt told him and it was the first sign that his boyfriend was actually nervous, because his voice got even higher. Blaine nodded and quickly unbuttoned his shirt, fingers slipping a few times because his hands were shaking slightly.

When he was done and his shirt was off, he looked up again. Kurt was staring at him with wide eyes and his hand was twitching on his thigh as if he was having a hard time to not reach out and touch.

"Now you," Blaine told him, suddenly a bit self-conscious even though Kurt was staring at him like he wanted to eat him. His boyfriend was wearing a black long sleeved shirt and when he slowly lifted it up to pull it over his head, Blaine's eyes followed its way until all he could see was Kurt's pale skin.

A moment later Kurt was gone though and Blaine froze because maybe it had been too much too soon but then the main light was turned off and the room was only illuminated by the lamp on Kurt's nightstand.

They lay down next to each other again when Blaine felt the bed dip next to him, but now that they were both partially naked neither of them made a move to touch. It was probably for the best. He put his hand on Kurt's cheek and pulled him in for a deep kiss, breathing out through his nose when Kurt buried his hand into his hair.

He was kissing down Kurt's neck, refreshing the hickey on his collarbone he had left a few days ago when Kurt suddenly yawned before he slapped his hand over his mouth and blushed. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," he whispered, looking mortified but Blaine suddenly realized how tired he was as well.

"Let's get you into bed," he told Kurt but when he tried to get up, Kurt wouldn't let go of him. "Stay with me? Please. Jeff won't be back till tomorrow afternoon and I'm pretty sure no teachers will be doing room checks this late in the night," his boyfriend pleaded and Blaine immediately gave in.

He didn't like sleeping with his contacts in, but he also didn't want to drag his ass back up to the third floor when he could spend the night in Kurt's bed.

"I don't have any PJs," he replied after assuring Kurt he would stay but Kurt just cuddled up closer. "Doesn't matter," he mumbled before his breath evened out and his hold on Blaine tightened.

Blaine shook Kurt once, because sleeping in skinny jeans couldn't be comfortable but Kurt only smacked his lips before unconsciously moving even closer. Blaine sighed, thankful for the fact that he never wore pants as tight as Kurt's, and reached across Kurt with his free arm to turn off the lamp. A few minutes later he was out like a light as well.

* * *

A sign of getting old, Burt thought, was that he didn't sleep well on cheep mattresses any more. Or maybe it was just because Kurt had taken Carole shopping for furniture when they had moved into a bigger house and a comfortable bed was all that he was used to nowadays.

He reached the station shortly before five am, after a fitful sleep, and boarded the first train to New York with a few other early birds. He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knew was someone shaking him and telling him they had reached the end station.

It was only shortly after nine and Burt grabbed a cup of coffee and a bagel in a coffee shop inside Grand Central Station before hailing a cab. He had only been on the subway twice so far and the last thing he needed after his two day trip was getting lost somewhere underneath the city.

Fifteen minutes later the cab dropped him off outside the NYADA campus and Burt made his way over to the dorm building. It was locked however and Burt didn't have a keycard to open his door, so he pulled out his phone to call Kurt, but his battery had finally died. A young girl walked outside that moment and Burt quickly slipped in before the door could close behind her.

It had been a while since he had last been inside the dorm building but luckily he ran into another kid who told him the way to the boys' dorms. When he finally found Kurt's room, he knocked a few times, but when no one answered he tried the door because he really didn't want to sit outside his son's room until Kurt decided to get up.

He froze after the door had swung open because whatever he had expected to see was not what was in front of him. One bed was empty but on the other was Kurt, wrapped around Blaine. A thin sheet covered them up to their waists and Burt was very much hoping they were wearing clothes under it, because otherwise he might just have to kill the two teenagers. His eyes quickly surveyed the room but from where he was standing he could only see shirts flung over a chair and he hoped there wasn't more behind the bed.

Finally he unfroze after taking a whiff of the room. It smelled like a bar in there and Burt seriously needed to know what the hell was going on in that school.

"Kurt Elisabeth Hummel! What the hell is going on?"

His son's 'just friend' immediately shot up, eyes wide. "Where am I?" he mumbled, rousing Kurt with his movements.

Burt locked eyes with his son, who suddenly went paler than Burt had ever seen him before and for a moment he worried about him before he remembered that he had a right to be pissed.

"Shit! Dad, I, I, it's not. What are you doing here?"

**AN: **Party time's over boys, I'm afraid.


	16. 1x11: Papa, don't preach

**1x11 Papa, don't preach **

_Previously on NYADA – Freshman Year. Vocal Explosion performed at Regionals and came in first the eleventh time in a row. Burt planned to surprise Kurt at the competition, but a blizzard derailed his plans and stranded him in Pennsylvania for the night. Kurt and Blaine partied hard at the VE victory party and ended up in Kurt's bed with their shirts off. That's how Burt found them the next morning and he was less than pleased. And that's what you missed on NYADA – Freshman Year._

Kurt was having a nice dream – he and Blaine were singing a duet for the Queen's birthday – when yelling and movement next to him woke him up. Blaine was still were he had left him the night before, but he was staring toward the door with wide eyes, and when Kurt followed his line of sight, he froze, because, shit, his dad was glaring back at them.

"It's not what you think it is," he tried again after his first reaction before he yanked the sheet up to his chest, suddenly wanting nothing more than his shirt back on. He was still in his jeans and as uncomfortable as sleeping in them was, he was glad he and Blaine hadn't taken their pants off as well.

"Those hickeys are telling me it's exactly what I think it is," his dad retorted. "It's nothing, dad, I promise. We didn't do anything," his mouth just wouldn't stop and he shivered when his dad glared at him again.

"You smell like a bar, are barely dressed and have marks all over you – don't tell me this is nothing. You're fifteen, for god's sake!" Kurt was pretty sure he didn't have more than two hickeys but he didn't think now was the right time to correct his angry father.

"I'm going to wait outside and in five minutes I want Blaine dressed and gone, are we clear?" his dad continued, and from the corner of his eye he saw Blaine nod frantically. So much for being there for him when his dad found out he was gay. But he didn't have it in him to defy his dad either.

The door slammed shut behind his dad – Kurt seriously hoped the other students were either still asleep or already gone because he didn't need people finding out about this – and Blaine immediately jumped off the bed and rushed over to the chair where they had left their shirts.

In a different situation Kurt would have stopped to admire his boyfriend's body, illuminated by the sun, but he had an irate family member waiting for him and doing his best to avoid completely freaking out.

"I'm so sorry Kurt. I knew I shouldn't have stayed the night." Blaine sat down next to him on the bed, fully dressed again, and handed him his own shirt. Kurt pulled in on before he looked up and studied Blaine's face intently, just in case this was the last time he would see his boyfriend.

He could feel tears trickling down his face and when Blaine wiped them away they only started to fall faster. "I really wanted him to be okay with it," he hiccupped, "I wanted to believe everyone who told me it would be okay and that my dad wasn't going to hate me if he found out I was gay. But I've seen the way he looked at us, he hates me."

"I'm sure he was just shocked. Your dad doesn't –" "Don't, don't make me get my hopes up. He might be okay with gay people but apparently only if they aren't his own kid."

Kurt pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them while his whole body shook, tears streaming down his face.

"Five minutes are up;" his dad yelled through the door and Kurt tried not to flinch when Blaine kissed his wet cheeks. "It's going to be okay, I promise," his boyfriend whispered but Kurt didn't reply and buried his head between his knees instead.

He didn't look up when the door opened and closed quietly, willing himself to disappear so he didn't have to face his dad's wrath.

* * *

Blaine knew he had to speak to Kurt's dad before he could confront his boyfriend. After all, it was his fault they were in their current predicament.

"Mr. Hummel, please. Can I talk to you for a moment," he pleaded as he stepped in front of the door to block the entrance.

"I don't have anything to say to you right now, Blaine. So get out of my way," Kurt's dad glared at him, but his feet were glued to the floor.

"Please, don't be mad at Kurt. We didn't do anything, I promise." "You promise? Like you promised you and my son were just friends. I don't like being lied to, Blaine, just so the two of you can do whatever the hell you want," Mr. Hummel yelled back and Blaine took a step back, because as much as he didn't believe that Kurt's father would hit him, he didn't want to test the theory.

"We didn't keep it from you on purpose. I wanted to tell you, but Kurt, he wasn't ready and I had to respect that. I couldn't force him to tell you before he was ready," Blaine tried to explain, because he needed Mr. Hummel to understand.

"Of course that's when you decide to respect him and don't pressure him. How convenient! You respect him when it serves a purpose." "I don't –" "Don't interrupt me, Blaine! You got my fifteen-year-old drunk and I find the both of you barely dressed and you expect me to believe you didn't have ulterior motives. Kurt may be naïve enough to believe it, but I wasn't born yesterday. You could have refrained from starting a relationship with him until he was ready to be honest with me, but you liked that I didn't know, because I invited you into my house and didn't say anything when you spent the night. You and Kurt took advantage of me not knowing about what was going on, but Kurt's still a kid, so yeah I'm blaming you for this."

Blaine's jaw had dropped during Mr. Hummel's rant because the last thing he ever wanted was take advantage of Kurt and now he was wondering if other people saw them like this as well.

"I swear I didn't touch him, I mean I did, but not with out his permission," he replied hoping to fix things before they got even worse but Mr. Hummel glared even harder at him.

"Stop talking and move, before I decided this was the last time you've heard from my son," Kurt's dad hissed and Blaine knew that he had lost this battle. He could only hope he and Kurt would win the war. Not that he wanted to fight Kurt's dad. He just wanted everyone to be happy.

"I love him," he whispered as he stepped aside. "I thought you should know. I love him and I would never do anything to hurt him on purpose."

The only response he got was the door opening and closing behind him, but he hoped Mr. Hummel had heard what he had said.

* * *

Kurt heard his father yell at Blaine in the hallway and curled up tighter, sobs shaking his frame. He couldn't understand what was being said, but he had never heard his dad this angry before, at least not when he was involved.

What was his dad even doing here? Under different circumstances he would have been so happy to see him, but now he wished he had never come to New York. He had the perfect speech planned out and if his dad didn't take it well, he would have stayed with Mercedes for a few days and returned to New York by the end of the week, to get out of his father's sight. He had no clue what would happen now and he was scared. Not knowing when he would be attacked or ambushed had always been the worst part of the bullying, because he had lived in constant fear while he was still in Lima, but being afraid of his own father was even worse.

Finally the yelling stopped outside and Kurt pressed his head against his knees when the door opened because he didn't want to see his father's disgust written all over his face.

"Go pack your bags, Kurt. You're coming back to Lima with me," his dad ordered and Kurt's head shot up, because no, he couldn't leave his sanctuary.

"Dad, please no. I can't go back. Please don't make me go back," he pleaded, finally looking at his dad but his dad didn't react to his pleading.

"You are leaving me no other choice, Kurt. I thought you were trustworthy enough to go to school in another state, but clearly I was wrong. I'll talk to Finn and tell him to keep an eye on you at school, but you are not staying where you think you can do whatever you want because your parents aren't here."

Kurt started shaking harder, because he couldn't go school with Karofsky and all his other former bullies.

"Please, dad. I'm sorry. I do anything. I'll get a girlfriend, whatever you want."

"This isn't about-," his dad started but Kurt didn't want to listen anymore. He couldn't go back and if his dad wouldn't listen to him, he had to find someone who would make him listen.

He jumped off the bed and pushed past his dad before he could stop him, racing down the corridor and out of the building. He had to find Ms. Carson and tell her what was going on. He didn't care if he got into trouble for the drinking and the sleep over, as long as he could stay at NYADA.

* * *

Kurt had always been a good kid, never breaking curfew and generally only getting into trouble when he was helping Finn avoid getting into trouble. Maybe that was why he was so angry because he had expected more, hadn't expected Kurt to pull a stunt like that.

He wasn't angry about the gay thing though and by the time he realized that was what Kurt thought, his son had run out before he could tell him. Burt didn't know where he had run off to, so all he could do for now was sit down and wait for Kurt to return so they could have a talk. It was probably for the best if he had some time to cool down.

Kurt's phone was lying on his nightstand so Burt picked it up and dialed Carole's phone number because he need his wife's perspective.

"Hi honey," Carole answered. "It's me," he replied before filling her in on what had happened. "Did I overreact?" he finished because Carole was always the more level headed in the relationship.

"You have every right to be angry, Burt. If Finn had pulled something like this, I would be pissed too and Finn is seventeen," Carole replied, immediately making him feel less guilty about yelling at his son.

"So you think I'm doing the right thing, taking Kurt back home where we both can keep an eye on him?" The line went silent for a moment.

"That's not a decision I can make for you, Burt. Even though we are married now and I care a lot about Kurt, he is still your son. Would I like having him around more, sure, but you have to think about what's best for Kurt and make your decision based on that. I will support whatever decision you make, but this is one I can't make for you."

Before he could ask her what she would do, he was interrupted by the woman who had welcomed Kurt at the beginning of the school year.

"I've got to go, Carole. Kurt's back," he told his wife before hanging up Kurt's phone. He offered the teacher one of the chairs while Kurt stayed by the door, looking ready to bolt.

"Mr. Hummel, I don't know if you remember me. My name is Julie Carson, I'm responsible for the students studying at NYADA. Kurt has come to me and told me what had happened last night, and I assure you we will punish Kurt and Blaine for breaking the school rules. They will be grounded to their rooms when not in classes and will not be able to participate in after school activities for the next week. Usually we'd probably give them two weeks but because spring break is the following week and both boys are going home, we will let the parents deal with the rest," Ms. Carson told him and when Burt looked over to where Kurt was standing, his son was nodding frantically.

"While I'm glad to hear someone is taking responsibility I have decided to take Kurt back to Ohio with me. This is not the first time something happened to him on school grounds and I just don't feel good about letting Kurt stay here. Please let me know what papers I have to sign to take him out of school."

Burt expected more pleading from Kurt, but his son just looked at the teacher expectantly.

"Mr. Hummel, I understand that you worry about your son and while we don't condone his behavior either, no one has gotten hurt. I promise you that we well keep a closer eye on the boys in the future, but you should at least consider letting Kurt finish the school year. While our curriculum is quite advanced it will be difficult for him to transfer to a regular school in the middle of the semester. If by the end of the school year you still don't feel comfortable with Kurt going to school here, we understand if you want to enroll him in a different school for the rest of his high school career, but taking him out right now, wouldn't help your son."

Burt sighed. That was what Carole had meant when she had said to consider what was best for Kurt. Deep down he knew that it was counterproductive to pull Kurt out of school in the middle of the school year and force him to change schools.

"Fine, he can stay till the end of the school year," he agreed before looking straight at Kurt. "But if I get one more call about you from school, I'm pulling you out that second, do you understand."

His son was still looking pale and scared but he nodded. "That means no more parties, no more breaking curfew and no more sleep overs. You go to school and that's it. If you want to go out with your friends, you call me first and ask for permission. That's my offer, take it or pack your bags." Kurt nodded again and Burt turned to Ms. Carson.

"Thank you for speaking to me. I'll talk to my son now," he told her and the teacher excused herself, citing she had to make a call to that boy's parents.

As soon as the door closed behind her, he pointed to the bed and once Kurt was seated he spoke up again. "I'm going to stay here for the week. I haven't taken time off of work for a while, so I'm going to get a room nearby and the two of us are going to talk, and I mean really talk, no more lying."

Kurt nodded. "Good. Now get dressed, I'm taking you out for coffee."

* * *

Kurt was still shaking on the way to the Lima Bean, but at least the worst was over, right? He could at least finish the school year and by then his dad had hopefully calmed down and would allow him to come back for his sophomore year.

They were both silent while they walked and Kurt avoided looking at his dad as much as possible, because the look on his dad's face told him how disappointed his father was.

As soon as they received their coffees they sat down at a table in the corner, the place thankfully relatively empty for a Sunday morning. Taking a few sips of his coffee he steeled himself for a conversation he didn't really want to have.

"Okay, first, how long has this been going on between you and Blaine?" It sounded like an easy question but the truth wasn't easy at all.

"We officially got together after Halloween," he whispered and he could see his dad doing the mental math. "Five months? Jesus Kurt. And what to you mean by officially?"

Kurt sighed because that was the part he didn't want to tell. "Some people I met the first day of school took me to a college party a few blocks away. I didn't want anyone to find out I wasn't in college so I had a few drinks and met a guy who kept giving me more. When we went outside to talk he got a bit too flirty for my taste and Blaine got rid off him for me. I didn't know he wasn't in college but he realized I was in high school and told me to be careful. I found out he and the other guy went to NYADA as well the next day."

He took a deep breath before he continued. "I pretty much had a crush on Blaine the moment we met but Blaine denied having feelings for me because he thought I was too young for him. I was hurt so I agreed to go on a date with the other guy, Chandler, after he apologized. Blaine warned me about him, but I did it anyway, because I was pissed at Blaine and at least the other guy was interested in me. Turned out Blaine was right about Chandler and he wasn't a nice guy after all. A few weeks later he got handsy at a school party and when the school found out they expelled him."

"So, wait. This Chandler is the guy I got a call about? Why didn't the school tell me what was really going on?" "Because that would have meant outing me and you didn't need to know all the details because they were taking care of it."

His dad looked like he wanted to protest but then he changed the topic back to Blaine. "And Blaine?"

"After that horrible date I decided to not go out with anyone again until I knew them better and did it for the right reasons not just because I wanted to be normal and go on dates like everyone else. Blaine asked me to be his date for the Halloween party and we made it official afterward. Blaine wanted me to tell you but I was afraid to do so."

"Why were you afraid to tell me?"

"I didn't want you to hate me."

* * *

Meanwhile, Blaine was pacing in his dorm room, annoying his roommate so much, he left for the library on a Sunday morning. He knew he had fucked up but didn't know how to fix things if he couldn't talk to Kurt or his dad.

The sound of his phone ringing startled him and he sat down on his bed with a sigh when he saw who was calling him.

"Hi dad, I take it the school called you?" he asked his dad, hoping he wouldn't be too mad after all the progress they had made in the past few months.

"You know, a few years ago I was used to getting calls like that on Sunday mornings, but I thought they would stop with Cooper graduating. I didn't think you were a saint, just better at not getting caught than your brother was," his dad replied and Blaine was relieved to hear that his father apparently wasn't too mad.

"I'm sorry dad. I know I screwed up but nothing happened between Kurt and I, I promise. I would never take advantage of him like that."

"I most certainly hope so. The last thing I need is Mr. Hummel calling the police on you and from what that lady told me he wasn't too happy," his dad replied. Not too happy didn't really cover it. "He was pissed," he admitted.

"And he has a right to be angry. You're the older one, you're supposed to make smarter decisions." As if he didn't know it himself.

"I'm sorry I acted like a teenager," he replied, because sometimes he didn't want to be the responsible one, the one who was supposed to be more mature. He was still just a kid himself and he should be allowed to make mistakes.

"I know and I understand. You know I went to an all boys boarding school and trust me, all we cared about was sneaking girls into the school. I don't really care about that sort of thing as long as no one gets hurt or caught, because trust me, the worst kind of gossip in our country club is gossip about kids who are troublemakers at school."

"And there I thought having a gay son would tarnish your reputation the most," Blaine deadpanned. It was a testament to their growing relationship that he could joke about things like that now.

"Yeah well, apparently the Westerville country club doesn't care who their kids sleep with as long as they don't knock anybody up or have a bad reputation. At least a dodged a bullet with the first one," his dad replied after a beat.

"So what now?" Blaine asked because he was lost. "How do I deal with Kurt's dad?" His dad sighed. "You give him time to calm down and if you want we can both talk to him when you are back in Columbus. I know I wasn't supportive of your relationship in the beginning, but I can tell you really like Kurt, so I'm on your side. I'll help you as much as I can."

Blaine had tears in his eyes when he hung up a few minutes later, feeling a lot better already.

* * *

"I could never hate you. You are my son and I love you." His father's words were on loop in his mind and Kurt nearly knocked over his drink when his dad pulled him into a hug.

"You don't?" He had to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "You don't hate that I'm gay?"

They were standing in a corner of the Lima Bean and Kurt couldn't care less when his dad hugged him even tighter. After his dad released him they sat down again and to his surprise his dad had tears in his eyes as well.

"Kurt, I've suspected it for years so I've had plenty of time to get used to the idea. Do I sometimes wish you were straight? Yeah, but not because I hate it but because I worry so much about your safety and when stuff started up in middle school my worst fears were confirmed. If I hadn't been so afraid for your safety I would never have sent you to school in another state."

"Then why are you so mad if it's not about me and Blaine?" He usually never got into trouble and he didn't get why his dad was so pissed when he made a mistake for once.

"Oh, I'm angry about you and Blaine too. I'm angry because I gave you plenty of opportunities to come clean, I'm angry because you went behind my back, that you took advantage of the fact that I thought Blaine was just a friend, a friend I suspected you liked, but just a friend nonetheless. And I don't like that you are moving so fast, especially with someone older and more experienced."

"But we didn't do anything, I told you," Kurt replied, a huge weight off his shoulders.

"Kurt, you were both drunk, half naked and you had hickeys in places I don't need to see on my fifteen year old. That is not nothing. You are way too young for sex and you are most definitely too young to get drunk at parties. Just because we let you have a class of champagne at the wedding doesn't mean it's okay for you to go out and act like you are already twenty-one."

"So if I promise not to go to parties anymore and to not do anything with Blaine I can stay at NYADA?" Kurt asked, hoping that his dad had calmed down enough to reconsider his decision. Burt the look on his father's face told him he hadn't changed his mind.

"You make sure you make it through the rest of the school years without further incidents and if you can earn my trust back over the summer we can talk about it again, but from where I'm standing right now, you're going to McKinley next fall, or another school close to Lima."

It wasn't the answer he had wanted to hear, but it was something he could work with.

"And I can still see Blaine?" His dad sighed and Kurt's face fell. "We'll talk about it some more when you are back in Lima. For now, you can text him to let him know that you won't have your phone or Internet access for the next week because you are grounded. And I will come by every day to make sure you're not breaking my rules again."

Kurt knew that arguing with his dad was the worst thing he could do right now, so he sent a quick text to Blaine, explaining why they couldn't see one another or talk and told him he was hoping they could meet in Ohio if his dad allowed it.

"So, who else knows about this?" his dad asked then. "I don't want to accidently out you to anyone either, but I will tell Carole what's going on."

Kurt looked away, playing with his napkin when he answered. "In New York, pretty much everyone at school I guess and aunt Kate, and in Lima, the whole McKinley Glee club."

His dad's eyebrows shot up. "Please explain how I am the last one to find out when you apparently didn't have a problem with telling everyone else."

"I didn't tell any of them," Kurt rushed to explain. "Aunt Kate overheard Blaine and I talking when she came to Sectionals and Finn and Rachel found out when they were visiting. I asked them to keep it a secret, but Rachel blurted it out to the rest of the club when we were together during Christmas break."

"I didn't realize you and that club hung out over Christmas. I remember Rachel and Finn not being part of that shelter thing," his dad replied and from his tone of voice Kurt could tell that his dad already knew or suspected the answer.

"They might have been over for a while on New Year's Eve," he admitted before adding, "please don't tell Finn I ratted him out."

His dad just smirked. "Carole might think she's sneaky but I knew there was a reason she called you to let you know we were coming back home early. We didn't say anything because neither of you looked hung over, the house was in order and Blaine on the couch. He did spend the night on the couch, right?"

He probably should tell the truth but if Finn hadn't gotten into trouble yet for the party he was sure he wouldn't tell his parents about Blaine sleeping in Kurt's room. "He did," he said because his dad had enough ammunition against Blaine already and didn't need to know that this wasn't the first time they had shared a bed.

His dad nodded and it looked like he had bought the little white lie. Kurt didn't feel too guilty about it because he vowed not to lie to his dad again in the future, at least not about things that concerned him and Blaine.

They stopped talking about him and Blaine then because his aunt showed up to take him and his dad to dinner and when he saw the look on her face he finally understood her behavior the previous day.

"A little warning would have been nice," he hissed when his dad went to the restroom, but his aunt just shrugged. "Sorry, kiddo. He wanted to surprise you and it's not like I can foresee the future. Not my fault you got caught," she smirked and Kurt scowled before putting on a smile because his dad came back to put his coat on.

"So, Kurt tells me you knew all about what was going on here," his dad told his sister, and at least now it was his turn to smirk because suddenly she didn't look so smug any more.

* * *

The past week without Kurt had sucked because he was used to hanging out every day now. He had only caught a glimpse of his boyfriend once, when they had been in the same hallway between classes, but before he could talk to him, Kurt had disappeared into another classroom.

Now that he was back in Ohio he hoped things would be different. He and Nick had flown out together because Kurt was taking the train with his dad, but he hoped that maybe Mr. Hummel would let him and Kurt travel back to NYADA together. Well, he hoped Kurt's dad would let him see him, period.

His patience lasted one day and by the end of his second day back his dad apparently was fed up with his behavior too.

"I will personally drive you to Lima tomorrow and speak to Mr. Hummel if you will stop your moping. I wanted to spend time with my son this week, not some emo teenager," his dad complained and Blaine looked up in surprise because he hadn't known his dad even knew the term emo.

"You're right," he hedged. "But I need to deal with this on my own. I need to show Mr. Hummel that I can be responsible and own up to my mistakes."

Blaine nearly started crying then and there because of the proud look on his father's face. "Okay, but if you don't succeed, my offer stands. Now get out of here before you're driving me crazy."

Thirty minutes later, Blaine was dressed and ready to go. He had gelled down his hair a bit, not as much as he had for Halloween but enough to make him look polished and mature, and had dressed in comfortable clothes because Kurt had told him enough about his dad to know that Mr. Hummel preferred Flannel shirts over anything else.

He hadn't heard from Kurt yet - he assumed he hadn't gotten his phone back - and so he didn't tell him about his plans, because he didn't want Mr. Hummel to know he was coming before he pulled up in front of the shop.

The drive to Lima felt a lot longer than the last time he had made it, even though this time he was dreading arriving at his destination while before he couldn't wait to get there because he knew Kurt's parents wouldn't be home.

Two hours later he arrived in front of Hummel Tires and Lube and parked his dad's Prius in front of him. He wouldn't have minded driving his old Station Wagon now that the roads weren't covered in ice, but his dad had suggested taking the Prius because he was sure a mechanic wouldn't let Blaine leave in his old car without checking it out first and Blaine didn't really have money for any repairs at the moment.

When he got out of the car, a man in coveralls walked up to him. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked. "Uh, could I talk to Mr. Hummel about this, we've uh, spoken before," he mumbled and the mechanic shrugged before he walked back into a garage and yelled. "Burt, new costumer. Some kid to see you outside."

Blaine quickly opened the car's hood to keep up pretenses, and he nearly banged his head against it when a hand on his shoulder startled him.

"Please tell me you didn't mess with your car just so you had an excuse to come here. Kurt's not working today," a gruff voice came from behind him and Blaine carefully took a step back before he lifted his head again.

"I'm not, I mean I didn't. I totally forgot that Kurt helps out here when he's home," Blaine rambled while Mr. Hummel stared at him. "I, uh, came to see you, sir."

Kurt's dad wiped his hands on a rag before he turned on his heels and jerked his head in the direction of the garage. "Let's talk in my office. I'll have one of my guys do a quick check up on your car." When Blaine tried to protest, he added. "If you're going to drive my son anywhere in the future, I want to know it's safe."

Blaine nodded, making a mental note to either get his car serviced the next time he was in Ohio or convince his dad to let him use his car whenever he was taking Kurt out. He followed Mr. Hummel through a narrow hallway until they reached a small office that looked like a tornado had passed through.

"Don't mind the mess. It's the only way I can do book keeping and the other boring parts of owning a business," Kurt's dad said and pointed at a chair that wasn't covered in paper. Blaine smiled because his dad was a numbers guy and what Mr. Hummel found boring, his dad found exiting.

"So, if you're not looking for my son, what are you doing here, Blaine?" Mr. Hummel asked once they were both seated and had a cup of coffee in front of them. Blaine took a sip of it before he put the cup down to answer,

"Well, I was hoping I could talk to you, sir. I wanted to ask your permission to see Kurt this week," he explained as politely as possible.

"Okay, first of all drop the sir crap, Blaine. You can still call me Burt, okay? And secondly, I gotta be honest with you, I don't feel very comfortable with you and Kurt hanging out alone at the moment. I know both you and Kurt assured me that nothing happened before I found you in bed with my son and though I define nothing differently, I'd rather it stayed that way for a long, long time."

Blaine immediately nodded. "Of course, Burt. I understand." He hadn't expected that Mr. Hummel would let him and Kurt go places as soon as they both returned to Ohio, but he was still hoping he would be allowed to see or at least talk to him.

"That being said, you can come over for dinner tonight. I promised Kurt I wouldn't keep him from seeing you, but you are playing by my rules now. Rules which I will explain after dinner and which you will not break if you want to keep seeing my son, okay?" "Yes, si-, Burt."

"Good, now how much do you know about cars? We still have two hours to kill," Mr. Hummel asked before handing him coveralls that could only be Kurt's because they had been decorated with a bedazzler.

Blaine accepted the coveralls with a sigh. The things he did for love.

* * *

Kurt knew he might be a bit melodramatic because not seeing your boyfriend for ten days really wasn't the end of the world, but right now he just felt like it was. He still hadn't gotten his phone and Internet privileges back but he had at least been allowed to call Mercedes from their landline and have her over the day after they came back to Lima.

They had bitched about their parents for a while though Mercedes thought his situation wasn't too bad because if her religious parents had found her in bed with a straight guy, dressed or not, she wouldn't be allowed to see him again and would probably be grounded till she left for college.

"I mean, I can have Sam over but only when my parents are home and we have to stay in the living room where they can watch us. The only time we have some sort of privacy is when we go to the movies because I'm not allowed to go to his house either when his parents aren't home," she had complained.

"At least you can kiss him in public without people saying mean stuff about you," Kurt had replied but when Mercedes had told him that sometimes people made comments about them as a couple because Sam was skinny and white and she was neither, Kurt had been outraged.

"I wish I could just take you back to New York with me. This place is toxic," he had ranted, trying not to think about the possibility that he might not be in New York much longer either.

But that had been two days ago and Kurt was just bored at home now when he wasn't helping his dad in the shop. Finn had offered him his phone and computer but Kurt didn't want to get him into trouble or prolong his punishment if his dad found out.

So he dutifully helped Carole prepare dinner after his dad called to tell her that he would be home soon. He didn't think much of it when Carole told him to set the table for five because sometimes his dad brought one of the mechanics back home for dinner.

When he saw who his dad had really brought with him, he nearly dropped the pitcher of water he was about to put on the table before he shrieked, put it down and rushed over to Blaine, throwing his arms around him even though his dad was standing right next to his boyfriend.

"Missed you so much," he whispered, his head pressed between Blaine's head and shoulder and as soon as he saw his dad disappear into the kitchen from the corner of his eye, he smashed their mouths together for a moment, reveling in the feeling of Blaine's slightly chapped lips against his own.

"I missed you too," Blaine replied, once Kurt let go of him and Kurt took his hand and led him over to the living room couch. He didn't care that his parents were right next door when he cuddled up closely to Blaine, their hands entwined between them and his head resting on Blaine's shoulder.

"I can't believe you are here. How are you here?"

"I went to see your dad at the shop and he invited me to dinner;" Blaine explained and it was the final proof he needed that his dad really had no problem with him being gay.

"I was so scared I would never get to see you again," he admitted. "After you left, my dad told me to pack my bags because he was pulling me out of school." When Blaine's face fell he quickly added. "But Ms. Carson convinced him to let me finish the school year."

"So, wait. Does that mean you're not coming back next year?" Blaine asked with a frown and Kurt shrugged. "Right now it does, but we have a few more months to make him change his mind. I just need to be on my best behavior but I'm going to do whatever he asks if it means I can go back to New York in the fall."

"Sounds like plan," Blaine replied before leaning in for a kiss, but before their lips could touch, his dad cleared his throat behind them and Kurt jerked back.

"Dinner's ready," his dad announced, glaring at Blaine, and Kurt quickly pulled Blaine off the couch and led him into the dinning room, pointedly not letting go of Blaine's hand however. They were dating after all and while they were both in Ohio there weren't many places where they could act like a couple.

* * *

Burt kept an eye on Kurt and Blaine during dinner and now that he was aware of their relationship he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. Sure, he and Carole had suspected Kurt had feelings for the boy but whenever they had been together in front of them they had bought their just friends charade because they hadn't known what to look for.

Now that he knew though, it was hard to miss. They weren't even holding hands anymore, but the way they looked at each other told him everything he needed to know. He had chalked Kurt's proclamation of love up to him being a teenager in his first relationship but now that they both weren't hiding anymore, he could see that the feelings were true for both of them.

He and Carole had discussed how they would handle the boys, especially now that Kurt was going back to New York for the rest of the semester and they had come up with a set of rules they expected them to obey if Kurt didn't want to spend the rest of the school year in Lima.

After dinner he and Carole sent Finn into the kitchen to wash the dishes while they told Blaine and Kurt to sit down in the living room.

"Alright, I guess Kurt already told you about my conditions for him staying at NYADA for the rest of the school year?" Burt asked when they were all seated and Blaine nodded.

"No drinking and no sleep overs," Blaine replied and Burt nodded. "Yes that's part of it. If you want to take him off campus, Kurt will have to ask for permission first. I want to know where you are going and I will check with the teachers to make sure you are back in time for Kurt's curfew."

"Is that all?" Kurt asked and Burt shook his head. "I know we never talked about dating rules before, because I didn't think it was necessary yet, but it clearly is now because you thought you could do whatever you wanted just because you weren't living at home."

"What your dad is trying to say is that if you were living here, you would have to obey certain rules, just like Finn," his wife added.

Kurt nodded, but he didn't look too happy. "Hey, wipe that expression of your face. I'm being more than reasonable here. So here are the rules. No more hanging out in each other's rooms if your roommates aren't there. If you aren't comfortable doing something in a common area, you shouldn't be doing it at all. Don't make me call your roommates and ask them to spy for me. Ms. Carson promised me to keep an eye on both of you, but I know she can't be there all the time, so I need to trust you on that one."

"You can trust us," Blaine replied and Burt held back a snort because yeah, trusting them was what had caused the situation they were in now. "I mean, from now on," the boy quickly added when he saw the expression on Burt's face.

Burt turned back to Kurt then. "So what are the rules, Kurt?" he asked his son.

Kurt rolled his eyes but quickly stopped when Burt glared at him. "I can't have Blaine in my room when Jeff isn't there and I can't be in his room if his roommate isn't there. If I want to go somewhere off campus I have to call and ask for permission," Kurt reiterated and Burt nodded.

"And what happens when you break the rules?" "You take me out of school immediately."

Burt nodded. "Good, Carole and I are going to finish cleaning up the kitchen. You can watch a movie in the living room if you want but no going up to your room."

Neither Kurt and Blaine looked too happy, so he quickly added. "I'm not telling you you can't act like a couple here, but remember, if you wouldn't be comfortable with seeing me and Carole doing certain things on our couch, you shouldn't do it either."

Both boys nodded and he and Carole retired to the kitchen to finish the rest of the dishes after telling Finn he could go.

"You okay?" Carole asked when they were alone and Burt sighed. "I just miss my little boy. How did we get from tea parties to me having to sit him down because he's dating."

His wife just smiled. "I know it's hard, realizing that your kid isn't really a kid anymore, but we can't stop them from growing up. All we can do is help them as best as we can and hope they turn out okay."

Burt sighed again. "I know. I just never thought I would miss tea parties this much."

* * *

**AN: **The next one is the 'season finale'. I'm trying to have it up by Thursday.


	17. 1x12: School's out (forever?)

**AN: **Sorry for the delay. I don't know how Chris Colfer does it, but when I work 12-14 hour days I can't write more than a few scenes afterward…

Another time jump. We are now in late April

* * *

**1x12 School's out (forever?)**

_Previously on NYADA – Freshman Year. Burt discovered Kurt in bed with Blaine and got super angry. Kurt thought it was because he is gay, but the two Hummel men talked it out and Burt explained he was angry about the drinking, lying and sharing a bed with Blaine. After threatening to take Kurt back to Lima immediately, he agreed to let Kurt finish the rest of the school year as long as Kurt doesn't break any more rules. And that's what you missed on NYADA – Freshman Year_

* * *

Kurt was on his best behavior after returning to New York because the last thing he wanted was his dad pulling him out of school early. He needed to prove to his dad that he could be trusted and that letting him return to NYADA for his sophomore year wasn't a bad idea.

It wasn't always easy because he had gotten used to being able to do whatever he wanted, going out with friends without telling his parents where he was going and what time he would return, because he could always crawl through the window if he came back to his dorm past his curfew.

The moment Santana had realized he wasn't much fun anymore – her words – she had started calling him goody two-shoes and it annoyed him a lot because he was only being the perfect son because his future at NYADA was on the line.

Luckily, he was quite busy with schoolwork and rehearsals for the musical and VE after his return to school so he wouldn't have much time to party even if his dad wasn't constantly checking in with his teachers to make sure he and Blaine weren't breaking any rules.

Ms. Carson was apparently taking her promise to his dad at heart because every day at eight someone checked that he and Blaine weren't in a room together still and Jeff had started to put pillows under his blankets so no one would realize when he was back for curfew because of the room checks that were happing more often now because of his dad.

As it was, they only had a few weeks of school left and the opening night of the musical was only a week away after which they would compete for a national show choir title.

Tired after a day of rehearsals and a meeting with his classmates for one of his final presentations, Kurt dug his phone out of his messenger bag and dialed his dad's number.

"Hi dad," he said after his dad picked up the phone. "Are you okay to talk right now?" "Sure, kiddo. Just got back from the shop," his dad replied and Kurt settled on his bed, leaning back against the headboard.

"Great. So, I was calling to make sure you are still okay with going to dinner with Blaine's family after opening night?" Kurt asked, playing with his pen to deal with his nerves. It would be the first meeting of their families now that everyone knew he and Blaine were dating and he was nervous about how that meeting would go, though he knew that Blaine's dad liked him now and his dad and Blaine were on speaking terms again as well.

"Sure kiddo. I didn't really talk to Blaine's dad much when I picked you up that one time, but now I at least know why he was reluctant to speak to me."

Kurt winced although his dad's tone wasn't accusatory at all. "I'm sorry, but Blaine wanted to tell his dad to see how he would deal with him having a boyfriend. If it helps, he didn't like me at all at first."

His dad sighed. "If course that doesn't make me happy and I'm glad he realized what a great person you are."

As always when his dad complimented him, tears started appearing in his eyes and Kurt quickly wiped them away because he really needed to stop getting overemotional whenever his dad said stuff like that.

"But I take it this isn't the only reason you called," his dad continued. "Because you've asked me that question five times already."

Kurt shook his head before remembering that his dad couldn't see him. "Blaine asked me out on a date for Friday night and I wanted to know if I could go?" he told his dad. It sucked that he had to do this now but if it was the prize to pay for NYADA he would happily keep asking permission for everything until his dad eased up on him.

"Where are you going and what time will you be back?" his dad asked when Jeff walked into the room and flopped down on his bed, clearly exhausted from dance rehearsal as well.

"Dinner and the new Hugh Jackman movie afterward. We'll be back in time for my weekend curfew," he told his dad, scowling at Jeff when he smirked. His friends unfortunately found the situation he was in oh so funny.

"Alright. Give me a call when you are home and don't be surprised if someone checks in with you."

Kurt wanted to argue that he didn't need a babysitter to check up on him, but he bit his tongue like always because he didn't want his dad to forbid him from seeing Blaine at all. The movies were the only place where they could really make out at them moment, because neither of them felt comfortable doing it in front of their roommates or the other students and so he couldn't piss his dad off. Ever since he had discovered how fun making out was he never wanted to give it up again, and making out in the back row of a movie theater was such a quintessential teenage experience that Kurt had actually fallen in love with it.

"Okay, dad," he replied. "I gotta go now though. Lot's of homework." "Before you go. I don't know if you've spoken to Mercedes yet, but I've talked to her parents and they are letting her come for the weekend."

Kurt squealed because Mercedes' parents had said no at first because their opening night was right before McKinley's final exams. "Rachel's coming as well, and I know you don't get along well, but please try to be civil. I really don't want Finn moping around again because his brother and his girlfriend don't get along," his dad continued and Kurt sighed before he replied. "Sure dad." Finn was getting better and better with the whole brother thing and if Rachel really meant that much to him, he could try to get along with her as long as she didn't act like a bitch around him.

After he and his dad said goodbye, Kurt sent a quick text to Blaine to let him know their date was a-go, before he shook Jeff awake so they could to their homework together. Math was still a bitch, but luckily Jeff was a lot better than him and always helped him out when Wes didn't have time.

By the time he was finished he was dead tired thinking that the only advantage McKinley had was that you didn't have to study much to get good grades – at least according to Mercedes.

* * *

A week later his family, Rachel and Mercedes arrived in New York for the second time and Kurt proudly held on to Blaine's hand while they were waiting for their visitors to arrive on campus.

They had moved the family dinner to the night before the opening because Blaine's dad couldn't stay afterward, but at least the whole family would meet for the first time. It wasn't like the most important meetings hadn't happened already, but Kurt was still a bit nervous about it which Blaine found adorable.

"Relax, you know my dad likes you and your dad's okay with us being together. What could go wrong?" Blaine tried to calm him down while they were waiting and Kurt snorted.

"Don't jinx it. After all, we have Rachel and Cooper in the same room again." Blaine rolled his eyes and Kurt sighed. "I know, I know. I promised I'll play nice for Finn's sake but if she starts insulting me again, well I can't be held accountable for what I might do."

Before Blaine could reply they were interrupted by a squeal and Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and rushed over to hug Mercedes. Not too much time had gone by since they had last seen one another but he was still extremely happy to have her here in New York with him again.

"Don't I get a hug?" his dad mock huffed next to his best friend and Kurt let go of her and let his dad draw him into a tight embrace.

"Hey dad. Did you have a good trip?" Before his dad could answer Rachel butted in. "It was long. Why couldn't we just fly out again?" His first thought was 'no one forced you to come' but he swallowed his knee jerk response and gave her a big fake smile.

"Rachel, it's nice that you joined my family again. I'm sorry if you don't like trains but my parents thought it would be nice to see a bit of the country during the trip," he told her, because it was none of her business that plane tickets for the whole family were quite expensive, money his family didn't just have lying around.

Kurt caught Finn smiling from the corner of his eye and knew he had said the right thing. Rachel apparently had been instructed to be civil as well, because she returned his fake smile before she turned to Blaine and started discussing the musical with him. Kurt only caught a part of their discussion, when Rachel announced loudly that she was certain that the original Maureen was her biological mom and her dads were just lying to her about it for some reason.

Not having their moms in their lives was something they had in common and Kurt thought they could have bonded over it and become friends if Rachel hadn't taken the competition between them so damn seriously from the moment they met and had basically declared him her enemy.

His dad clearing his throat brought him back to the present and Kurt looked up to him.

"Why don't you give Carole your room key so the ladies can freshen up while you introduce me to your friends. I should have insisted the last time I was here but that was before I knew what kind of influence they had on you."

Kurt flushed because he really wasn't used to being the bad child in the family.

"Can I stay with you?" Finn asked clearly not wanting to join his mom and the girls and his dad nodded before turning to Blaine. "See if your friends can come down as well. If I'm going to let Kurt go to the seniors' graduation party I want to meet the people throwing it, especially after your last party."

His boyfriend nodded eagerly and quickly sent off a text to Wes and David and Kurt hoped he warned them as well about why they were meeting his dad. When his dad cleared his throat again, he took out his own phone and sent a quick text to Jeff, Nick and the girls, asking them to meet him in one of the common rooms if they had time.

Jeff immediately texted him back saying that he was out with his own family, but it didn't really matter because his dad had met his roommate before and Jeff was never around enough to get Kurt into trouble. As long as he didn't tell his dad that he and Blaine had been in his room together when Jeff had been out, they were good.

Quinn, Santana and Brittany showed up a few minutes later, all three of them wearing short skirts and tight tops which made Kurt groan because he had told them who they were meeting.

He caught Finn pretty much drooling over Quinn and glared at his stepbrother who at least had the decency to look properly chastised. Britt and San had their pinkies linked and Kurt was grateful that Finn didn't say anything because Kurt had found his lesbian porn once and was aware that a lot of straight guys thought two girls were hot.

Kurt quickly introduced his friends to his dad and blushed when his dad's brows shot up when he pointed out Brittany, his alibi date for Chandler. He had totally forgotten to tell his dad that he never actually been out with the blond and he observed his dad's expression closely because he needed to know his dad didn't prefer him to be with her.

Luckily Britt was her usual strange self, telling his dad stories about her cat Lord Tubbington, so it wasn't surprising when his dad later told him that he didn't think it would have worked out between them even if Kurt were straight.

Santana for once was actually on her best behavior, which was definitely a sign that she cared about him and wanted him back, because she could have embarrassed the hell out of him or made lewd remarks about him and Blaine in front of his dad.

He hadn't been worried about Quinn because Quinn's public persona was always that of the nice girl next door, but he was still relieved when Carole, Rachel and Mercedes returned and aunt Kate arrived, ready to head to the restaurant.

"So, what's the verdict?" Kurt asked with some trepidation when they were waiting for a cab outside after his dad had been introduced to Wes, Nick and David.

His dad pulled him to his side and wrapped an arm around him. "I'm really happy you made so many friends this year. I know you've been quite lonely even after you and Mercedes became friends."

Kurt wasn't surprised anymore that his dad had cottoned on to more than he had thought. He had thought he was hiding what was happening in his life pretty well, but apparently that hadn't been the case.

"So you know why you should let me stay here," he tried, employing his best puppy dog eyes but his dad just shook his head. "We'll see, Kurt."

It wasn't a definite no and Kurt decided to let it go for now because he knew pushing his dad to make a decision wouldn't work in his favor.

* * *

The cabs dropped them off in front of a fancy restaurant that shouldn't have surprised Burt because he had seen the Anderson's house in Columbus. It wasn't a place he would normally set foot in but Blaine's father had insisted to take them out because they had taken out Cooper the last time they all were in New York.

"Mr. Anderson, good to see you again," Burt greeted the man in the expensive suit and lightly greying hair. He was wearing his own Sunday bests but he still felt incredibly underdressed standing next to the older Anderson.

"Please call me Robert," Blaine's father replied after putting his smart phone away and shaking his hand. "Burt," Burt replied before introducing his wife, sister and his sons' friends before they all followed a waiter to a large round table in the back.

Burt sat down next to Robert with Carole by his side, while Cooper sat down next to his father. To his surprise his sister immediately sat down next to Blaine's older brother who had the audacity to check her out right in front of him. He bit his tongue though because Kate had always been a free spirit and at thirty she was definitely old enough to make her own decisions.

Kurt and Blaine sat down next to Kate, followed by Mercedes, Rachel and Finn which completed their little circle. Once they were all seated, Robert ordered a bottle of champagne and turned to face him.

"I don't know how you do it in your family, but I let Blaine have a glass for special occasions." He and Carole did the same thing with their boys so he nodded before he turned to Mercedes and Rachel.

"Would your parents let you drink a glass of champagne?" he asked the two girls, hoping they wouldn't lie because he didn't want problems with their parents. Rachel immediately nodded but Mercedes shook her head, before she added. "But that's okay, I can drink something else. I had a sip once and didn't like it much anyway."

"Nine glasses, please," Robert told the waiter when he returned to the table with a bottle of champagne Burt didn't want to know the price of and he wasn't surprised when the waiter didn't even bat an eyelid even though most of the teenagers at their table were clearly underage. Discretion was apparently included in the prices he subsumed.

Once everyone's glass was filled, Robert raised his hand for a toast and Burt quickly followed suit even though he was really out of his element at the moment.

"To the first meeting of the Hummels and Andersons. If I know my son, I'm sure it probably won't be the last time," he said and Burt saw Blaine hide his face in his hands. Well, at least he wasn't the only one who occasionally embarrassed his kids.

"You're welcome to join us for our annual forth of July party," Burt replied because while he couldn't afford fancy restaurants he made some killer burgers and steaks.

Fortunately dinner went by without any big mishaps. Carole had to stop Finn a few times when he started asking Blaine about being rich right in front of his dad and Kurt and Rachel only narrowly avoided an argument when she insinuated he wasn't good enough to get cast for a proper role, but otherwise they got through it without them doing anything to embarrassing. He knew his son wasn't a snob or ashamed of his upbringing, but he also knew that Kurt wanted Blaine's dad to like him and accept him as Blaine's boyfriend so he didn't want to ruin anything for his son, especially because he knew how nervous Kurt had been about the dinner.

Carole had joked that Burt was behaving like they were meeting the future in-laws, but for all Burt knew they could. He had met his first wife young as well and he was at least sure that right now Kurt and Blaine thought they would never break up. So until that happened he would make sure their families got along, especially because both boys would be back in Ohio in a few weeks.

* * *

Everything went well with the musical thankfully and as soon as they finished their last show, Alyson made them rehearse even more for Nationals. He knew she wanted to beat her little brother at least once and Kurt wanted to do his best so that the outgoing seniors could leave with the title they'd been trying to win for the past four years.

He hadn't expected to get a solo and therefore wasn't disappointed when the solos went to the graduates, Alyson, Sebastian, Wes and David, and some of the juniors, including Blaine, got a few lines in their big group number.

Blaine officially got voted the new captain of Vocal Explosion during their last rehearsal before the competition and Kurt knew he would have to work even harder next year if he ever wanted a solo – if his dad let him come back –so people wouldn't say Blaine was just handing them to him because they were dating.

Once all the other members had left the room and only he Blaine, Wes and David were left, the older boys past another torch and handed Blaine the key to the back door.

"You'll need it next year when Kurt's on the second floor and can't just climb windows anymore in case you're staying out late." Kurt shared a look with Blaine because they hadn't told Blaine's friends that he might not return for his sophomore year and even if he did he would probably have to stick to his curfew until his dad let up and called back his guard dog. He'd have a later curfew anyway the next year but it was still nice to know they'd have a way in and out of the dorms in case they needed to at some point.

Afraid to get caught yet again they hadn't taken off their shirts again when they were making out and Kurt was sure that after a summer of seeing lots of Blaine's skin he would want to see it if he returned to NYADA in the fall.

Nationals took place the next day at the Lincoln Center and they walked over there together, followed by many students because their glee club was really popular at school.

Unfortunately Vocal Adrenaline beat them again but they came in third which was the seniors' best result in the past four years.

Once the ceremony was over Alyson introduced them all to her younger brother Jesse, lead singer of VA, and his cocky attitude immediately pissed Kurt off. He was like a male Rachel Berry and Kurt vowed to do his best to help Blaine beat him the following year just to wipe that smug smile of his face.

He was really surprised by how down to earth and nice Alyson was with a brother like that and he was grateful that the other boy didn't go to school with them.

When they returned to school they didn't throw a party because everyone was busy with final exams and final projects before the end of the school year and because the seniors were throwing a graduation party anyway for which he had permission to go to as long as he checked in with Ms. Carson before going to bed to prove he wasn't drinking.

With all the things he had going on, he was actually glad neither he nor Blaine had been able to attend senior prom because one had to be either a senior or the date of a senior. He would get to go the following year when it was Blaine's turn – he would make sure of that regardless of which state he was actually living in at the time.

Time moved at a snail's pace during his exams but as soon as they were over it sped up and before he knew it it was time for the graduation party Wes was throwing for the seniors. Kurt had permission to stay out till midnight and he had every intention of returning to campus on time so he could meet with Ms. Carson before bed.

* * *

Blaine had one job during the party – making sure no one gave Kurt any alcohol. Mr. Hummel had definitely warmed up to him again over the past few weeks and he didn't want anything to happen that would jeopardize his relationship with Kurt.

So he kept an eye on the usual suspects, Santana, Wes, David and Sebastian. Not that he thought Kurt would accept a drink from the older boy anyway, but he wouldn't put it past him to try to give Kurt or him a spiked drink.

For once he didn't drink either, only taking a sip form his glass when he, Wes and David toasted to the end of an era. David was heading to Boston in the fall for Berklee School of Music while Wes fortunately was staying in the city after having secured a spot at Julliard.

His best friend was only moving a few blocks away but he knew it wasn't going to be the same anymore come fall, because for one Wes and David would be separated and two, he wouldn't be able to just drop by their dorm room any time he needed them.

The worst thing was that he still didn't know if he at least would still have Kurt close by so he had no idea how he would deal with his senior year if all the people he was closest to left him behind.

He and Kurt hadn't really talked about the worst case scenario yet only agreeing that they would try to stay together, but the logistics and reality of a long distance relationship – when they were both still so young – had been avoided so far because neither of them really wanted to think about it. He didn't know anyone in a successful long distance relationship – and he was certain Cooper had no intentions to develop a relationship with Kurt's aunt beyond the occasional hook up when they were in the same town and both single – and so he was afraid he and Kurt wouldn't make it either if they were forced to live hundreds of miles apart and could only see one another during breaks.

"You don't have to stay sober because of me," Kurt interrupted his depressing thoughts and Blaine put on his best show smile, hoping Kurt couldn't tell it was fake in the semi-darkness.

"It's okay. I'm just sad that Wes and David are leaving," he replied and Kurt nodded before wrapping his arms around him. "I get it, but you'll still see them and you can talk to them all the time. Mercedes and I barely see each other as well and we are still best friends."

Blaine nodded because Kurt was right. He was lucky because his friends wouldn't be that far away and could visit any time they wanted whereas Kurt and Mercedes had to depend on their parents if they wanted to organize a meeting.

In the end he and Kurt had a lot of fun at the party because watching the behavior of drunk people when you were sober yourself was hilarious. Half an hour before midnight, he said good night to his friends before walking Kurt back to campus.

Ms. Carson was waiting for them in the lobby, clearly relieved they came back early so she didn't have to wait up for them any longer. After she made sure Kurt hadn't been drinking she told Blaine he had a few minutes to say good night to Kurt and he walked his boyfriend back to his room.

"I'll call us a cab for noon," he told Kurt after they kissed for a bit in front of Kurt's room. Blaine had decided to take the train back to Ohio with Kurt because his gig at Six Flags was starting soon and would cut into the time he would be able to spend with Kurt over the summer.

Kurt hummed, more interested in kissing at the moment than the details of their return to their home state and Blaine let him, because if things went wrong this might be the last time he got to make out with Kurt in a NYADA hallway.

When someone cleared their throat behind them, they jumped apart, both blushing a bit.

"Breakfast at the Lima Been?" he asked Kurt when Ms. Carson pointed at her watch and Kurt nodded before he quickly went inside his room.

"Good night, Blaine," Ms. Carson told him pointedly when Blaine remained standing in front of Kurt's door, staring after him – and most definitely not at his ass in the tight jeans Kurt was wearing.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I'm going," he mumbled before he fled the hallway and went upstairs to his own room. He was sure he could hear the teacher sniggering all the way to his room, but he couldn't be mad at her, because without her, Kurt would have been gone weeks ago.

* * *

Kurt's sixteenth birthday happened two weeks after his return to Lima. He had hung out with Mercedes and her friend Tina a lot since he had gotten back because Blaine was busy with his job and Kurt didn't have his license yet so he couldn't just drive up to visit him.

He couldn't wait to get it though, because things at home were a bit tense, since Finn was moping around a lot. From what Kurt had gotten out of him, he had gotten drunk at a party and had enjoyed his spin the bottle kiss with a cheerleader a bit to much for Rachel's taste and now she was on a war path, trying to give him a taste of his own medicine but kissing some jerk she met at theater camp. Kurt had nearly choked on the piece of pineapple he was eating when Finn had told him the name of the jerk, because it was none other than Jesse St. James.

Knowing Rachel, he was sure they could fix things if Finn just apologized but his step-brother was stubborn as well and thought she should apologize first because he hadn't done anything wrong – it wasn't his fault that girl had been seriously hot and totally into him. After hearing all that he was actually glad Blaine was surrounded my screaming teenage girls daily instead of attractive gay guys, but even if there were others he wouldn't be worried because Blaine had enough options in New York for Kurt to know he wasn't just with him because there were no other available gay guys.

As it was, Kurt was in full on planning mode for his party though he was a bit sad that Santana, Quinn and Brittany couldn't come because Sue Sylvester's cheerleading camp that all three girls would be attending wasn't starting till the middle of July and their parents didn't want to send them to Ohio twice.

Nick, Wes and David had agreed to come however, the two older boys staying with Blaine for a few days so they could watch his show – the one Kurt hadn't gotten a chance to see yet. His dad had promised him though that they would drive up as soon as Kurt had his learners permit and Kurt couldn't wait. For some reason his dad was making him wait till after his sixteenth birthday to get it but he had stopped arguing with his dad when his dad had promised that the wait would be worth it eventually.

By the time six o'clock rolled around the Hudmel backyard was filled with members of the McKinley glee club – no Rachel though because she and Finn still weren't talking – and Kurt's friends from New York. His dad was working the grill while Blaine was inside helping Carole make more dip for the chips and other snacks they had bought for the party.

After everyone was fed it was time for presents and Kurt hugged Mercedes tightly when he unwrapped a voucher for the only decent day spa in the county. Finn had gotten him the sheet music to the 'Sound of Music' after Kurt had dropped hints for a while, while Carole had gotten him gift certificates for the Lima Mall.

Nothing made him squeal however until he opened Blaine's present and saw that his boyfriend had gotten both of them tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in Cincinnati. Ignoring all the other people in his backyard he flung his arms around the old boy and kissed him soundly right in front of everyone, only separating when his dad cleared his throat behind them.

"Sorry, dad," Kurt mumbled, before he quickly looked around, but all his friends were smiling and so Kurt relaxed again.

David's gift was to play tour guide and offer him and Blaine a place to sleep when they came to visit him in Boston and though Kurt thought it was a sweet idea, he knew it would be hard and probably nearly impossible to convince his dad to let him visit a college campus with Blaine and stay the night.

Wes got him a voucher for a backstage tour and meet and greet for a musical of his choice and after him only his dad was left.

"If you could all follow me around the house please," his dad called out and Kurt's interest peaked. What was his dad hiding from him?

He gasped when he reached the driveway because sitting there with a huge red bow wrapped around out it was a car. It wasn't really fancy and Kurt was sure it had at least one previous owner but it was the best thing ever.

"You got me a car, dad," Kurt exclaimed before he threw his arms around his dad.

"It's not much of a looker right now, but it works and I thought we could work on it together when I'm not teaching you how to drive," his dad explained once Kurt let go of him and Kurt was tempted to hug him again, because his dad had gotten him a freaking car.

When Kurt rounded the car again he spotted something else on the windshield. Stuck underneath the wiper were four tickets for Six Flags.

"I thought we could all drive up next weekend so you can watch Blaine perform," his dad explained and Kurt wrapped his arms around his two favorite men again.

"Best birthday ever," he exclaimed before they all returned to the backyard where they took turns on the karaoke machine Tina had brought along until one of their neighbors showed up and told them to take it inside.

The next morning, his dad drove him to the DMV for his learner's permit and after Kurt proved he wouldn't be a menace to other people as they circled the parking lot a few times, his dad finally let him drive out into the street. In that moment he didn't care that his car wasn't exactly fabulous like him and in dire need of a paint job, he was just feeling amazing.

* * *

It took a few weeks until his dad decided he was ready to take his driving test and it coincided with Blaine's last day of work so they made plans to meet at a coffee shop between Lima and Columbus after Kurt had taken his test. He had to promise his dad that he would be extra careful on the road, but he couldn't wait to drive himself to a date with Blaine.

He was done a lot faster than he thought and before he knew it he had a license with a horrible picture but his dad assured him that most people didn't look good on their driver's licenses.

He still had some time to kill until he was supposed to meet Blaine and because his dad had to go back to work he decided to visit the mall first because he still had some gift cards left over from his birthday.

His iPod plugged in and set to his favorite playlist he slowly backed out of the parking lot and drove toward the mall, Lady Gaga blasting through the speakers. He drove slowly and carefully but by the time he reached the mall on the outskirts of Lima he still had one and a half hours left until he was set to meet Blaine.

Kurt didn't like taking his shirt off in public because he thought he was too pale and turned into a lobster as soon as he exposed his skin to the sun, but Nick was throwing a pool party before break ended and Blaine had begged him to come so he dragged himself into a store that sold swim wear. Once he finally had discovered a piece he could see himself wearing in public, he went to the small second hand store he had discovered some pretty awesome pieces in before he had moved to New York the previous summer.

Shopping made him thirsty so he picked up a large banana smoothie at the food court but was quickly starting to regret it afterward because after three coffees, one red bull and the smoothie he definitely needed to pee.

He wasn't a fan of the mall bathroom but they sounded better than having to stop at a gas station of the way to meet Blaine, so he concentrated on breathing through his mouth and quickly took care of business.

After washing his hands, he checked his hair in the mirror to make sure he looked good for his date but Kurt froze when the door opened behind him and he saw who had entered the room.

His former bully looked surprised for a moment to see him there, before Kurt saw his eyes trail over his backside and Karofsky licked his lips suggestively.

"You're definitely getting hotter with age," he drawled and Kurt flinched, eyes darting frantically around the room to find a way out. Karofsky was blocking the door though and so Kurt slowly turner around and squared his shoulders.

"I don't want you. And I don't want you talking to me like that," he said, cursing his voice for wavering.

"Is that so," Karofsky challenged him and Kurt nodded. "I do think you want me. A little birdy told me you are coming back to Lima for good. Couldn't stay away from me, huh?"

Kurt shuddered. This was like one of his worst nightmares but unfortunately he didn't wake up when he pinched himself.

"You know, I thought it would be a bad idea to have you at my school but when I look at you now, I can't wait. And you are going to be a good boy and do what I say or I'm really going to make your life miserable," he continued in a threatening voice and Kurt pressed his back further into the sink behind him, praying that someone would come in and help him.

His phone was buried deep in his messenger bag and he was afraid of what Karofsky might do to him if he saw him take it out.

"In fact, why don't we start now? Why don't you give me a kiss – I haven't gotten a proper greeting yet." Karofsky took a step forward and Kurt whimpered, eyeing the door behind the large boy again. Dance class had made him stronger but he knew he still wouldn't be able to push the bully away from the door.

"Please, let me go," he caught himself begging. "I don't want you. I have a boyfriend."

Karofsky frowned before he smirked again. "Like he gonna wait around for you once he's back at his fancy school and you are here with us," he replied while he took another step forward.

Just when Karofsky reached out for him the door opened behind him and the bully yanked it back as if he'd gotten burned. Kurt didn't wait around to look at his savior. As soon as Karofsky pulled his hand back and stepped aside, Kurt pushed past him and ran back out into the mall, his shopping bags forgotten.

The moment he reached his car he unlocked it, got inside and locked the door again, before he dissolved into tears. He knew he shouldn't be driving, because he was shaking really badly, tears streaming down his face, but he was too scared to stay in the parking lot any moment longer.

All he knew was that he had to get home, to the safety of his bedroom, where he could lock himself away and Karofsky couldn't reach him. He was still struggling to breath when he zoomed out of the parking lot, causing another driver to honk his horn at him when Kurt cut in in front of him, but Kurt didn't care.

He needed to get to a safe space and then he needed to stay there. He couldn't go to McKinley in the fall, not now when he knew Karofsky was still interested and still treated this like a game. He honestly didn't know what was wrong with the guy, because how psycho do you have to be to pretty much threaten someone with rape. This wasn't about a confused and questioning bully anymore. Karofsky knew exactly what he wanted, and he apparently didn't want to stop until he got what he wanted.

When he finally reached the house he haphazardly parked the car in the driveway and ran inside, not stopping until he reached his room and had locked it. No one else was home and Kurt was glad because as much as he knew he had to tell his dad, he didn't know where to start, especially after he had promised his dad that he wasn't telling lies anymore.

Sobs still shook his body when his phone started ringing in his bag an hour later but Kurt made no motion to move and retrieve it. For all he knew, Karofsky had found out his number, like he had found out about Kurt's possible return to Lima, and he was too afraid to check that it wasn't him.

Instead he buried his head underneath his pillow and pressed his hands against his ears, so he didn't have to hear his phone if it started ringing again.

The thought that it could be Blaine calling him, didn't even cross his mind.

* * *

Blaine was running a bit late because his coworkers were having a small get together after his last show and by the time he reached the coffee shop, after picking up flowers for Kurt to celebrate his driver's license he was already fifteen minutes late.

To his surprise Kurt wasn't inside though and he couldn't find his car in the parking lot either. He wasn't worried at first because it was Kurt's first drive on his own and it made sense that it took him more time to get there than he had planned. But when Kurt still hadn't shown up another fifteen minutes later, he took out his phone to see if he had any missed calls or texts. The screen was blank though.

That's what's really made him nervous because Kurt always texted when he was going to be late to one of their dates.

When Kurt didn't pick up the phone after he tried three times he felt like he didn't have another option but call Mr. Hummel. Maybe he had taken Kurt out after his test and they'd just forgotten he was supposed to meet him for coffee.

Mr. Hummel didn't know what happened to Kurt either after he left him in the DMV parking lot and Blaine started coming up with all kinds of horror scenarios about what could have happened to Kurt. Because what if he lost control of his car on the way here and was now lying in ditch somewhere.

He had worked himself into a panic when Mr. Hummel called him back ten minutes later. Kurt's car was parked in the driveway and Mr. Hummel had discovered that Kurt had locked himself into his room.

"I don't know what's wrong. He won't talk to me and he won't open the door." Kurt's dad sounded panicked as well and Blaine felt incredibly helpless as he was starting his car and driving out of the parking lot.

"Can you put me on speaker and put the phone next to the door," he asked as he turned onto the road leading to Lima. "I'm on my way but it will take some time."

He could hear some shuffling on the other end and then Mr. Hummel's voice came back from a distance. "I put the phone down."

"Kurt, honey, are you okay?" he called, praying that Kurt would answer him, but all he could hear was sniffling.

"Please Kurt. Tell me what's wrong or let your dad in," he pleaded again, but he still got no reaction from Kurt.

"I'm on my way over but please tell me you aren't hurt. I can't worry about that the whole way over," he tried next hoping that Kurt's concern for his safety would get him out of whatever stupor he was in.

"'m okay," Kurt finally mumbled and Blaine let out a sigh of relief. "What happened? You never showed up for coffee." "Mall," Kurt replied and Blaine could hear someone moving around until Kurt's voice was suddenly a lot closer.

"Was early and went to the mall."

Blaine could hear Mr. Hummel breathing as well, so he knew he was still listening too.

"Did something happen at the mall?" he asked, dreading the answer because just because Kurt said he was unharmed didn't mean he didn't get hurt somehow.

"Karofsky," finally came the shaky reply and Blaine's heart skipped a beat. He had never met the bully but Kurt had told him enough about him to know that he was even worse than Chandler and Kurt was genuinely afraid of him.

"Did he…? He didn't touch you right?" Blaine forced out and he could hear Mr. Hummel make a noise before he asked a question as well.

"Kurt, did he hit you? Are you hurt?" Kurt didn't reply again and Blaine feared the worst.

"Kurt," he called out. "Blaine, please hurry," Kurt finally answered and Blaine sped up even more. He didn't care right now if got a ticket for speeding or not. Kurt needed him and getting to him fast was the most important thing.

"Blaine, what's going on?" Suddenly Mr. Hummel was back on the line and Blaine could tell he had taken the phone off speaker. "If never heard him like this before, not even after that boy put him into the hospital."

Blaine sighed. He knew Kurt didn't want to tell his dad but whatever had happened must have been bad and he couldn't keep Mr. Hummel in the dark any longer.

"We need to talk. I'll tell you everything I know as soon as I get to your house."

* * *

"Alright, what's going on Blaine? I'm not dumb, I know how the kids treated Kurt in school here but I've never seen him like this before," Burt told Blaine once they were seated outside on the porch and Blaine had managed to calm Kurt down enough so he was able to take a nap. Burt had been beyond relieved when he had seen that Kurt was physically unharmed but now he was dreading the conversation with Blaine.

"I promised I wouldn't say anything because it wasn't my story to tell and Kurt didn't think it would be a problem anymore, but clearly he was wrong and I need to keep him safe," Blaine started and Burt feared the worst.

"Do you know about Dave Karofsky?" Blaine continued and Burt nodded. He would have kicked that little shit's ass after he put Kurt into the hospital but unfortunately his friends had given him an alibi and Burt could not risk getting arrested instead.

"He hurt Kurt, repeatedly from what I know now," he replied because he assumed none of that was news to Blaine.

"But there's more," his son's boyfriend said and Burt felt like he got punched in the stomach because what else could there be.

"When Kurt was in seventh grade he tried to confront Karofsky about the bullying and instead of hitting him he forced a kiss on Kurt, and wouldn't let go of him until someone else came into the room," Blaine admitted and Burt saw red.

"What the hell," he yelled, before remembering that Kurt was right upstairs. "Why did he not tell me or anyone else?" "I think he was scared. Karofsky threatened him to keep him quiet and he didn't think anyone would believe him – he had no proof after all – and he doesn't believe in outing people, not even assholes like Karofsky, pardon my French," Blaine explained, shooting nervous glances at him. Burt looked down and saw that his hands were clenched into fists.

"Go on," he ordered because he needed to know everything now.

"From what I know, Karofsky kept following him in the hallways, leering at him and making him scared of going to school because he was afraid it would happen again. When Karofsky started high school he went by Kurt's school every now and then to make sure he kept quiet. Before he came to New York he threatened to kill Kurt if he told anyone when he went to McKinley as well and Kurt told him he would tell you. That's when Karofsky put him in the hospital," Blaine concluded and Burt was seething.

He wished Kurt had told him when all of that had started because the thought that the boy who had assaulted his son was getting away with it made him sick. He agreed with Kurt that outing was bad but in this case the other boy had lost his right to privacy.

"What happened this afternoon, Blaine?" he finally asked, his voice shaking a bit. "I don't know. The only thing he would tell me was Karofsky, over and over again, so I think Kurt might have run into him this afternoon."

Burt's fist crashed down onto the porch and Blaine jumped next to him. "If he hurt Kurt, I'm going to kick his ass," he growled, feeling helpless because unless they had proof it would just be Kurt's word against Karofsky's.

"Please, Mr. Hummel. Let Kurt come back to NYADA. He isn't safe if he has to go to school with Karofsky because you can't always keep an eye on him and neither can Finn. So, please, please don't make him stay here where he can get hurt." There were tears in Blaine's eyes and Burt swallowed hard as well.

"Why don't you go upstairs and see if Kurt's awake. I have a lot to talk about with my wife," Burt said before getting up and walking around the house to where Carole was cutting the rose bushes in the front yard.

"It's a lot worse than we thought," he told her when she looked up from her work and when she saw his expression she immediately dropped the shears and wrapped her arm around him.

"Whatever it is, we're going to work it out, okay?" she whispered. Burt just hoped she was right.

* * *

68 EXT. HUMMEL – HUDSON HOME – DAY

Establisher. Middle class home with spacey front porch. The front yard is well cared of.

69 INT. HUMMEL – HUDSON HOME – STUDY – DAY

A desk with an old computer on top. Less chaotic than BURT HUMMEL's office in the shop, but still cluttered. Two forms are on the desk – one will remove KURT from NYADA, the other will keep him enrolled.

70 INT. HUMMEL – HUDSON HOME – LIVING ROOM – DAY

Burt observes Kurt and BLAINE as Blaine is comforting Kurt on the living room couch, while a Disney movie is playing in the background.

71 INT. HUMMEL – HUDSON HOME – STUDY - DAY

Close up of one of the papers being pushed into the envelope. The only thing that can be read is Burt Hummel' signature.

72 EXT. SUBURBAN STREET – DAY

Burt walks up to the mail box and drops the envelop inside. Camera stays behind him and doesn't show his face.

* * *

**AN: In case you were wondering. I did not forget to translate the script to a proper scene in the last part. It just worked best like this for me.**

'Summer Hiatus'. Season 2 probably won't start before April as I'm working on a TV series for the next 5 weeks and I have to write for my other stories as well when I have time off work. I'll let you know when I know more Thank you for reading!


	18. Season 2 Announcement

The first 'episode' of NYADA Sophomore Year is up now.


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